Till Death Do You Part
by SnowGlobeQueen
Summary: Thor saves a young woman who is dying on Midgard and has to convince Odin to keep her alive, but Odin won't unless she's one of the family. Post Dark World
1. Chapter 1

Thor carried the limp form through the halls in a rush, not caring that he left a dripping red trail behind him as he made for the throne room. He was moving so quickly he didn't notice the odd stares he was getting from those around him… nor did he notice the raven haired man watching curiously and scheming all the while.

The crown prince of Asgard skidded around a corner, nearly dropping his groaning buddle, and found himself in front of the throne room doors. He barged through the protesting guards, who regretted to inform him that his father was busy with the lords of the realm, and yanked one of the doors open. Barreling into the middle of the room, the blond roared to get everyone's attention.

"Thor, what drives you to interrupt this meeting?" Odin snapped, clearly peeved. The king's one eye followed the trail of blood from the door to the bundle in his son's arms and he stiffened.

"No time to explain, save this girl." Thor held the bundle forward, which was actually a woman in her early to mid twenties wrapped in the prince's cape.

"Who is she?" Odin gripped his staff with one hand and curled his other into a fist.

"Does it matter? She was a casualty in an attack by a lindworm on Midgard."

Odin rose and stepped away from his throne to inspect the girl. Her pale face was covered in sweat and smears of blood. Her bleached blonde hair was streaked with blood as well and her eyes were shut tightly. Her breathing was frantic and she had an enormous gushing hole in her abdomen and two smaller holes on her shoulders.

"Set her down." The king ordered and Thor hastily lowered her to the floor.

"Can you save her?"

"I _can_."

"Thank you, Father-"

"Can and will are two different things, my son."

"Father?" Thor's brow furrowed.

"She is a Midgardian whom we know nothing of. Perhaps the Norns have fated her to die this day. Who am I to stand against them?"

"If you can save her then I know she is not destined to die. She is an innocent. Her only fault being at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Oh? And you know her so well as to say that she is innocent of all crimes?"

"No, but-"

"If she were someone close to you or our family then I would gladly spare her life."

Thor clenched his fists and was about to let loose a torrent of arguments. He stopped himself though and simply turned and marched from the room, leaving the girl on the floor, gasping.

"Let no one touch her. I will be back." He growled as he darted from the throne room.


	2. Chapter 2

_Forgot this before but DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE MARVEL CHARACTERS OR MARVEL OR THE AVENGERS OR THOR OR LOKI OR ODIN OR ASGARD OR ANYTHING. ONLY MAISY AND A FEW OTHER OCS ARE MINE. THANK YOU._

Loki was in the kitchen, helping the cook to prepare dinner and loathing every moment of it. Of course, he never said such words aloud. Part of his probation declared that he must spend an allotted amount of time each day volunteering with some chore in the palace. Serving in the kitchen would not have been his first choice, but the steward had already declared him a disaster at most other odd jobs and had banished him to the kitchen.

"Put some effort into kneading that dough." The head cook, a huge woman, who feared nothing and was said to be part troll, commanded.

Loki swallowed a sarcastic reply and tried to do as she requested. Getting into trouble in the kitchen, he'd learned when he was a boy, would result in hands being swatted with wooden spoons - or rolling pins if you really mouthed off. The cook had always been something he and Thor had feared as children. They'd learned the hard way that being royalty did them no good if they were caught snitching treats.

"Where is my brother?!" Thor's loud voice called over the many kitchen hands. Loki rolled his eyes and picked up his dough, flopping it back down and sending up a puff of powder.

"The _traitor_ ," The head cook sneered, "Is helping to make the bread for tonight."

Thor pushed through the crowded room and clapped his hand on Loki's shoulder. The dark haired man looked his brother in the eye, about to ask why he'd come to the kitchen, but then he saw the look. It was the same look he'd had when he'd asked for help to defeat the Dark Elves, the same look he'd had when he'd been desperate for help when they were boys. That look could only mean one thing.

"Does she still live?" Loki asked, thinking of the Midgardian woman whom Thor loved so dearly.

"Jane is fine, she is on Earth."

"Then what is the matter?"

"Jane lives, but there is another who lies dying and I cannot save her."

"Have you asked Odin?"

Thor's jaw tensed. "Father watches idly as she bleeds to death in front of him this very moment. He will not save her."

Loki wiped his hands off on a towel and began walking with his brother. "Does he give a reason?"

"He thinks that the Norns meant for her to die this day because she is no one that I know personally. He claims that if she was a friend of mine or our family then it would be different, but otherwise he will not save her."

They were part way to the throne room now, walking so quickly that if they went any faster they'd be running.

"And you want me to find a loophole, correct?" Loki tried to hide his grin. Undermining Odin was becoming a favorite hobby of his.

"No, you _are_ the loophole."

Feeling slightly offended that Thor had already found a solution, Loki stopped walking.

"What do you mean?"

"I understand if you refuse, it is only logical for you to do so, and I would do it myself in a heartbeat if it were not for Jane…"

"What is it?"

"Engage yourself to this woman. Then she will be like family and there is no way that Odin can deny her the right to live. When she is safe you can break it off."

Loki gaped at his brother momentarily, weighing the pros and cons and being shocked all at once. Finally, he nodded.

"Very well, consider it done. But know that he may not accept it, even if he once called me 'son'."

Thor yanked him into a bone crushing hug and then they raced for the throne room.

"You certainly made a mess bringing her in, didn't you?" Loki scoffed, stepping over the trail of blood and following behind Thor into the presence of the king.

"What is he doing here?" Odin asked irritably, "A criminal has no place at a council meeting."

"Father, hear us out." Thor strode over to the girl on the floor and Loki followed close behind. She didn't look like much, lying in a pool of her own blood and fighting for every breath. A combination of blood and saliva dribbled down her chin as a cough racked her body.

"What is her name?" Loki asked quietly.

"I do not know." Thor admitted.

Loki bent next to her and found that a backpack was wrapped in the cape next to her. He opened it and dug through it until he found her wallet. Flipping it open, he looked to her driver's license.

"Maisy Sichore," He swallowed nervously and flicked a glance at his adoptive father, cursing himself for still seeking his approval, "Maisy Sichore, if you will have me I pledge myself to you." It was a common marriage proposal, but adding more eloquent speech would muddy things up and by the looks of things, this woman didn't have time for that.

"This is ridiculous. You do not even know her," Odin stated, "And she is in no state to respond…"

"Help…" The girl rasped out, shaking hands flying to her wound, "Help me!"

Loki raised an eyebrow and looked at the king questioningly. "Sounds like an acceptance to me."

"No." Odin thumped the scepter against the tiled floor.

"Father, do not be-" Thor caught himself, "You said if she were a friend of the family things would be different, did you not? I can think of no closer form of friendship than this."

"You think I do not know that he plans to break this off the moment she is saved? I will not have that."

"Something more permanent then?" Loki retorted, holding the woman's blood covered hand in his own, "I'll marry her here and now."

"Brother, you do not have to do this for my sake." Thor said gently.

"I do not do it for yours." Loki snapped. Honestly, he was only doing it to get Odin riled up, but he decided to play the heroic card instead, "I do it so an innocent will not die when I could have done something to stop it."

Odin frowned, seeing right through that act, but said nothing.

"If you won't officiate, I'm sure Thor would be glad to," Loki looked up and smirked, "I even have the rings." Two gold rings appeared in his hand and Thor gave him a warning look.

"Loki, if you are jesting it is not amusing."

"I'm not joking. You'd best make a decision quickly though, her life is running short."

"And will you, indeed, save her if she is his wife?" Thor asked the king.

"I could not live with myself if I did not."

"By the power vested in me, I declare you to be husband and wife." Thor nodded and Loki slipped one of the rings on the dying girl's finger and then held her hand aloft.

"Now save her." He shot a glare at Odin, daring him to go back on his word.

The king touched the tip of his spear to each of the wounds on her torso and she took a deep shaking breath. Her breathing grew to be at a normal pace and the movement behind her eyelids slowed.

"We will discuss this later. You may be sorry that you put yourself in this situation."

"I don't doubt you shall try to make me regret it."

"For now you will take her to your chamber. When she wakes she will only be allowed in the rooms that you are allowed in due to your probation. I shall draft a list of rules that you must follow if you are to be married to a Midgardian. Until then, keep her in your room and do not let her out of your sight."

"As you command, All-father." Loki slipped one hand around her shoulders and the other under her knees and picked her up. He gave a cheeky wink to the gathered council members and carried her off. The cape she was wrapped in still dripped blood onto the floor and Loki made a point of letting it spill onto as many people's shoes as possible.


	3. Chapter 3

Laying her sleeping form down on his mattress, Loki pulled the bloody cloak out from under her and tossed it into the fire place. He washed his hands in the lavatory and returned to her side momentarily.

"You are no Asgardian beauty, to be sure, but you aren't bad looking… not that it matters. I would have married you if you looked like Hildegard from the kitchen - it made Odin so unhappy."

She muttered something in her sleep but he couldn't make it out as she rolled onto her side. Blood dripped off of her jacket onto the blanket.

"Honestly, you aren't even awake and you make such messes. I shall hate to see this place once you wake up."

The door creaked open and Loki spun around to see a maid holding out a basin of water and a stack of towels.

"The All-father says you are to ensure that she doesn't wake up covered in blood. I'll bring by a fresh nightgown soon."

"Err… ought I really be dressing her? It feels… invasive."

"You married her."

"But she doesn't exactly know that. I don't want her to be offended."

The maid sighed, handed him the items she'd brought, and placed her hands on her hips. "They say you're some great magician. Magic the nightgown onto her if you're so squeamish."

"Right."

"I assume you know how to at least clean her up a bit."

"Easy."

"Then get to it. I'll be back."

Loki set the bowl of water down on his side table and stared at the woman on the bed. He wet one of the towels and carefully dabbed at her face to clear off the filth. When she no longer had blood dribbling from her mouth or smeared into her hair he went to work on her hands. Finally, he carefully unzipped her hoodie and pulled it off.

"What happened to you?" He asked, examining the large scar that he saw when he lifted her shirt hem enough to see her wound.

"Lindworm." Thor's voice said.

"Would everyone please stop bursting into my room without knocking? I may be on probation for horrible crimes against humanity, but is knocking really out of the question?"

"Sorry," Thor winced, "She was riding a bus in New York City when a lindworm shot forth from the sewer and attacked the vehicle. Oddly-" Thor glanced at the sleeping woman, "Nevermind."

"Oddly what? She's not going to wake up anytime soon so we can talk."

"Well, the worm set all the other passengers aside - not gently, but he didn't bother with them - but when he pulled her out of the bus he began to carry her away. He didn't seem to want to hurt her, and probably wouldn't have released his stinger if Iron Man hadn't blasted him with a beam."

"Stark caused this to happen? I can't say I'm surprised."

"The lindworm set her aside while he battled with us. We did not even notice the girl until we were about to head back to the Tower." Thor shook his head tiredly and turned to go, "I will leave you in peace."

"I just married a Midgardian woman who I have never even spoken to. I'm not exactly at peace."

"Then I shall leave you to sort out your thoughts." Thor nodded.

* * *

After magicking the girl into a clean nightgown and making sure she was at least semi comfortable, Loki grabbed a book and sat down next to her, reading. He was so engrossed in his book that he didn't notice when she began to stir.

"What…?"

Loki looked over at her and found her facing away from him, trying to push herself into a sitting position. He glanced down at himself and realized he was sitting in bed next to her and quickly jumped out, not wanting her to get any bad ideas. He stood at the foot of the bed and waited for her to notice him.

"Where am I?" Her voice was deeper than he'd expected, but that could have been because her lungs were just recovering from being punctured by poison tipped claws. She looked down at her nightgown and then over at the wall. She ran a hand through her platinum colored hair and finally glanced over in his direction. Her brown eyes drifted away and then jerked back.

"How are you feeling?" He asked with what he hoped was a friendly smile.

She screamed and rolled off of the edge of the bed. He stepped forward to help her up, but she scrambled away from him and backed into a corner, eyes wide with fright.

"You're that guy!"

"Please, be calm. You've had a rough day and-"

"Help!" She screamed, rising to her feet and latching her hand on the nearest "weapon" she could find, which happened to be a hairbrush. She waved it at him threateningly.

"You really think you could stop me from hurting you with a hairbrush?"

"Help! Someone!" She looked him in the eye, "Get away from me! I know what you did."

"Granted, this probably looks… not great, but I promise I will not hurt you."

"Somebody help me!"

"Stop shrieking. I'm sure the guards, and possibly my brother, are on their way now."

Sure enough, Thor burst into the room with Mjolnir in hand. He noticed the woman waving a hairbrush threateningly and Loki beginning to look exasperated.

"What is the matter?"

"You're Thor!" She gaped, dropping the hairbrush.

"Please tell her that I am not going to hurt her." Loki asked.

"Aren't you going to do your thing? Hit him with the hammer!"

"Miss Sichore, please calm down. Loki will not harm you. He has actually saved your life this day."

"I don't know where I am or what the heck is going on, but I know he's not a good guy. He totalled the NYC!"

"He has done many things that are… less than moral, but I promise you that he will not hurt you," Thor put Mjolnir down and walked over to his brother, slinging his arm around his shoulders and smiling, "From what you've seen I cannot expect you to trust him, but I do."

The girl's posture relaxed a little. "Sorry. Where am I?"

"You are in Asgard!" Thor boomed happily.

"What's that?"

"Err…"

"The universe is divided into nine realms. The one you know is Midgard, we are currently in Asgard - the home of what your vikings thought to be gods." Loki answered, making another attempt at a smile, causing her to recoil again.

"And why am I in _Asgard_?"

"Well, you see, there was this lindworm - that's kind of like a dragon - and he was attacking the city and-"

"I remember a big lizard kind of thing attacking the bus I was on," The woman interjected, "It grabbed me and started taking me somewhere and then," Her brow furrowed, "I think it stabbed me or something."

"Lindworms have these talons and-"

Loki coughed. "Not really important."

"Right. Anyway, you were bleeding to death and if that didn't kill you then the poison definitely would have, but-"

"Why am I not dead? Or at least in excruciating pain?"

"If you'd let him finish then he could get to the more pressing matters." Loki snapped.

Her mouth closed and she glared momentarily before looking back to Thor.

"Thinking of no other solution, I brought you to Asgard to be healed and um... Loki would you like to continue the story?"

"Odin, the _king_ , refused to save your life."

"So I should be dead. Am I dead? When humans die do they just come here?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Loki rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, "We simply convinced Odin to spare you."

"Oh. Okay, so I can go home now, right?"

"In theory. We will get you back to Midgard eventually."

"Okay," She nodded and smiled a little at Thor, "Thank you for saving me."

"It was my pleasure."

"I wonder if I can get back in time for my final on Wednesday," She pondered, picking at the sleeve of her nightgown, "I'm sure the professor will understand if I can't, but it would be nice to be back before Christmas break starts. I wonder if my dad knows anything about this yet! Oh my gosh, do you think the other Avengers told him and my stepmom? They must be worried sick! My parents, not the Avengers - that would be weird. But yeah, it would be great to get back to Earth by Wednesday. Maybe Tuesday would be better since I probably need to study."

"Your studies will have to wait for quite some time, I fear."

The girl jumped and all three looked over to the doorway where Odin stood. He frowned at them and stepped into the room, making it seem far more crowded than it was.

"Father, we have not yet broken the news to her." Thor said.

"I would not tell her before you think her ready. All I request is that Loki be the one to tell her."

"Tell me what?"

"Maisy Sichore, your life will never return to what it was. You will not go back to Midgard unless you are accompanied by your husband." Odin stated. His face was blank, but Loki could have sworn he saw a brief smirk.

"Husband?" Maisy scanned all three faces, "I don't have - I'm not married. I just broke up with my boyfriend last week."

"Oh, well that is a relief at least. There will be no jealous suitors to contend with." Loki chuckled darkly.

"What are you guys talking about? I'm not married. See?" She held up her hand, which now had a ring on it and gasped, "What is this?!" Tugging on the jewelry, she frantically looked from person to person, "What is going on?"

"You, um, are actually married." Thor said.

"No I'm not. I think I would remember that."

"The thing is," Loki stepped closer to her and she stepped away until her back was against the wall, "The only way we could convince him to save you was if you were one of the family." He held up his own left hand and showed her the identical ring that adorned his finger. Despite knowing better, he couldn't help a menacing smile. "Surprise!"

Perhaps it was all of the events of the day combined, or perhaps it was because of her dance with death, but the poor girl collapsed in a heap.

Thor immediately turned and glared at his brother, who shrugged.


	4. Chapter 4

"Promise you won't scream this time around, after dealing with Thor and Odin all day I am beginning to get a headache."

Maisy's eyes flew open and she found that Loki was standing at the foot of the bed again, book in hand and a bored expression on his face. Her eyes never leaving him, she slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position on the bed.

"Did I faint?"

"Yes, actually. It was quite dramatic."

"Well I'm sorry, but I've had a long day with many _horrible_ things happening in it."

"I'm not overly fond of today's outcome either."

She swung her legs out of the bed and got up, walking toward the door. Knowing that one step out of the bounds that Odin had set could kill this girl, Loki grabbed her wrist and yanked her back.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked.

The girl yelped and tried to pull away, fear filling her eyes. "Don't do that!" She squirmed and he released her.

"Apologies, but Odin has set some rules for where you are allowed to roam in the palace and where you are forbidden to go. I fear that if you step so much as a foot out of bounds then he will see it as an excuse to undo his healing," Giving her a quick smirk, he crossed his arms, "It would be quite inconvenient to have to clean up that much blood."

The fear in her eyes disappeared and she was instead filled with anger. "He'd kill me just because I leave this room?"

"At the moment I wouldn't put it past him. As much as you hate my company, I think it best if you stay here for the time being," He sat down on the bed, "Thor said he'd bring by Odin's list of rules a little later, until then we have a bit of time to get to know each other."

"Rules?"

"To ensure our 'alliance' is as difficult as possible to maintain, Odin has concocted a set of laws that we must follow."

"So he made up a bunch of rules just for us because you saved my life and he didn't like that?"

"No. I created rules for an unusual circumstance that needs monitoring," Odin was suddenly in the doorway again and Loki muttered something about having no privacy, "A prisoner has married a Midgardian and they are to live in the palace. It is a peculiar situation, do you not agree, Maisy?"

"Yes, but-"

"You will not argue with me, girl. You are of no social standing here and you have done nothing to warrant an audience with the king. I come to deliver this and now that I've done so I have a meeting I must return to." He handed her a scroll and left.

Carefully unrolling the parchment, Maisy read the first rule aloud.

"'The Midgardian is restricted to only the areas that her husband's probation allows.' Where does that include?"

"Here, the kitchen, grand dining hall, library, a few other small rooms, and a garden, unless I am instructed to go elsewhere to complete a task."

"I guess that's manageable," She lifted the scroll once more, "'While it is not expected for them to act in such a matter in the early stages of their acquaintance, in one year they must showcase the traits of a married couple, at least in the eye of the public."

"We have one year to perfect an act for the public. I'm assuming said act will include displays of affection and adoration." Loki scowled.

"One year," Maisy took a deep breath and glanced over at her new husband, "I'm not sure how well that's going to work."

Loki chuckled and snatched the scroll from her. "'Neither party shall partake in any other relationship over the course of the marriage.' Well blast, I shall have to break things off with that scullery maid."

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!" Maisy's eyes widened and it looked as if she was about to cry, "I didn't mean for you to have to break up with-"

"I was joking. I've no romantic attachments at the moment, save yourself."

"Oh."

"And I believe you uttered something about having just broken up with your boyfriend so I assume that won't be an issue?"

"Not a problem," She said quietly, "I just didn't think I'd be tied down so early in life."

"I feel as if this is prying, but may I ask the reason you ended your previous relationship?"

She glared at him and took the scroll back. "That _is_ prying. 'The Midgardian will not visit Earth or any other realm without the accompaniment of her husband.'"

"I just wanted to know to avoid making the same mistake. We must tolerate each other for the rest of your life. I think we ought to make it as tolerable as possible for one another."

"I'm not inclined to talk about it. 'The prisoner shall continue with his probation until the All-father deems him worthy being accepted into the royal family again.'"

"Ah, silver lining! If all goes well I shall be re-appointed as the least favorite son of Odin and a prince of the realm."

"'Finally, the couple must - oh." She blushed and dropped the scroll.

"What is it?" He picked it up and looked it over, "Don't overreact. It doesn't say anything about what you're thinking of. He simply said one of us cannot sleep on the couch. He didn't say you can't take the floor."

"Oh, I'm gonna be the one taking the floor am I? How about being a gentleman?"

He winked. "I'm a horrible villain, remember?"

Maisy narrowed her eyes, turned to the bed, and yanked off all off the bedding. She carried it over to a corner and dumped the cushions and blankets there with a smirk.

"Fine, but I get the blankets. And I hereby claim this corner as my own personal corner, which shall not be invaded under any circumstance by you or anyone else."

"You can't just take over part of _my_ room."

"Our room now. And if you let me sleep on the bed then you can have the corner back." She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

"I don't see why we can't just share the bed," He crossed his arms, "It's large enough."

"Excuse me if I don't want to sleep next to the guy who blew up New York."

"Shut it."

"So we're in agreement. This is my corner." She sat down in the middle of her nest and pulled the comforter over her head.

"Just because you can't see me doesn't mean I'm not still here."

"Go away."

"I can't, it's the middle of the night."

"Then go to sleep."

"I can't. Someone has taken all of my blankets."

"You can have one back." She peeked out from under the comforter and tossed him a sheet. He scowled at her and grabbed it.

"Brat."

"I'd rather be a brat than a murderer!" She hissed, burrowing back into her pile blankets and pillows. He glared at the lump and then went to bed.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been a week and Maisy was sick of hiding in Loki's room. She hadn't left once and the only person she'd seen for seven days was her "husband". He was gone right now, off doing some rehabilitative task in some other part of the castle. She was reading through one of the three books he had in his room. Apparently, Odin had confiscated Loki's large collection of books when he'd let him have his room back, but allowed him to keep three on the history of the realms.

Maisy had read the first two already. Back home she hadn't been an avid reader - she enjoyed a novel now and then, but she wasn't exactly a book worm - so reading all day was driving her crazy. On the other hand, she was learning a lot about the realm that was to be her home for an undefined amount of time.

She hadn't spoken to Loki except to ask him a few basic questions about the locations of vital things such as soap. After a week of this she was beginning to feel very lonely.

"I'll talk to the next person who walks through that door and ask them how they're doing today." She decided. It was fifteen minutes until noon, which was when a maid usually brought her lunch so she was assuming that she'd have the chance to make friends with some of the palace staff.

She was shocked when, at noon, the door swung open and Thor burst in with a tray of food.

"Hello, ma'am!" He smiled, setting her food on the table and pulling out a chair for her to sit in. She was curled up in her nest and staring at him with wide eyes.

"Hi."

"I had the day off of my duties as a warrior of the realms and thought I'd come and say hello to my sister-in-law." He grinned and she felt her heart flutter at his handsome face.

"Oh. And you brought lunch." She crawled out from her blankets, which were in need of a wash, and dusted off her nightgown, which was also in need of a wash. She'd been bathing regularly, but no one had given her any clothes besides what she was wearing. It was getting quite uncomfortable.

"Have you been sleeping?"

"Reading, actually, Your Highness. As I've been doing all day everyday."

"Loki has not taken you on a tour of the palace yet?"

"He's kind of busy with chores and stuff."

"That is soon to change, from what I've heard. Odin wants to introduce you to the public."

"Um."

"He wants to make it look like my brother is a changed man and worthy to begin the process of becoming a prince of Asgard once more. Father thinks that if the people see he has an intended they will be more accepting of that fact."

"Oh."

"Sorry, I'm being rude. We do not even know each other yet," He extended his hand, "I am Thor."

"Maisy." She nodded with a smile.

"And where are you from, Maisy?"

"California, originally."

"That is quite a ways from New York, is it not? Were you on vacation?"

"No. I was in school. And I got a job. And I was sick of living in my dad's house."

"Was your father so terrible?"

"Not really. I just... he's not the nicest guy in the world. I know he loves me, but he says things without thinking and sometimes it feels like he hates me. He's also drunk a lot of the time, which is never fun."

"Has he ever hurt you?" Thor asked gently.

"No, but he hurt my mom once when I was twelve. She was gone when I woke up the next morning and I haven't seen or heard from her since," Maisy winced, "Sorry, I didn't mean to dump my life's story on you."

"It's fine. I asked to get to know you and you told me about your family. Do you have any siblings?"

"Well, yes," She frowned, "Sort of. My dad's fiancee lives with us and she has three sons. They're triplets and all thirty years old. They aren't very nice."

"I am sorry to hear it."

"Compared to your sibling situation mine seems pretty simple." She smirked.

"Speaking of my brother, how are you two getting along?"

"He's not here in the day and we don't talk at night."

"So life is fairly simple?"

"Simple, but also boring and lonely," She shook her head, "I can't believe I'm involved in this craziness."

"Were you in New York City the day of the battle?"

"No, actually. My ex took me on a hiking trip that day, oddly enough. It's like he knew what was coming, took me hiking, and we came back right after everything had settled down a little."

"Curious," Thor nodded, "And how does Loki compare to this ex of yours?"

"Like I said, I don't see him often enough to know."

"You ought to try and get to know him. He is an interesting person."

"So was Genghis Khan, but I wouldn't want to get to know _him_."

"At any rate," Thor smiled, "I think it's about time for you to go on a tour of the palace, don't you?"

Maisy nodded, finishing some of the food that Thor had brought and jumped to her feet. Thor blushed slightly and looked away.

"What?" Maisy asked, brushing crumbs off of her nightgown.

"Erm, perhaps you ought to change before you go anywhere."

"Oh," She didn't feel like telling him that no one had given her anything else to wear and _her_ clothes were still covered in blood and sitting in the corner of the lavatory. Instead of letting the crown prince in on this information, which might have been a logical way to get more clothes, she walked over to the wardrobe in the room and sorted through the vast amounts of green fabric Loki possessed. She finally came across a plain black shirt, a pair of black pants that she hoped she could keep on with a belt, and some thick socks. Taking the clothing into the bathroom, she changed.

It was wonderful to be in fresh clothing and if she hadn't been afraid someone would take away the shirt and pants - leaving her with nothing - she would have burned the filthy nightgown. Instead, she filled up the bronze tub and dunked the article of clothing into the hot water. Perhaps some of the stink would come out of it while she toured the palace with Thor and she could have it clean and dry by the time Loki came back. Then she'd never have to tell him that she borrowed his clothes and they could continue to ignore each other for eternity.

Stepping out of the bathroom, she pulled her short hair into a ponytail and smiled at her guest. Thor looked as if he was trying to keep from laughing.

"That is an interesting outfit."

"Well, it's just a little big, ya know. Maybe I'll fix it in all this spare time that I have. On our tour can you possibly find me a needle and thread? Or someone who has a needle and thread?"

"Midgardians still use such primitive tools for making clothing?"

"Not usually… if you have a sewing machine I could borrow, that would be good too."

"We can stop down in the laundry room and have one of the women there assist you if you like." The prince offered.

"Oh, um…" An idea struck her. Loki wouldn't want these clothes back if she altered them to fit her and the same would go for any other clothes she changed. Or fabrics. "Yeah, just a sec, I have some other clothes that I need to fix."

Thor watched as the short woman pulled a black shirt, a green shirt, and two pairs of pants out of his brother's wardrobe. Then he tried to hold back his laughter as she pulled down the drapes that hung over the balcony doors and folded them up. She gave him a bold glare, as if daring him to comment and then gestured for him to lead the way.


	6. Chapter 6

"Norns, kitchen duty was better than this," Loki muttered as he folded the hundredth towel he'd come across that afternoon. After spending so much time in the laundry rooms of the palace he vowed to use less towels, sheets, and re wear anything that didn't smell too bad.

"No, no, no!" A shrill voice exclaimed, "You can't put the bath towels in the same pile as the kitchen towels! Honestly, do you think the All-father wants to use _this_ to dry off with?!"

An elven woman shook a tea towel in his face. The head laundress was far prettier than the head chef, to be sure, but she was far more high strung. Where Hildegard in the kitchen would swat you and explain how to fix your mistake, Karash of the laundresses complained that you were doing it wrong - loudly and right in your ear - and then did nothing to show you how to make amends. Not that Loki was particularly interested in the intricacies of towel folding, but he was annoyed that he kept making the same mistakes repeatedly.

"Freya help us! And Prince Thor wants to come visit _today_ of all days!"

"What purpose does Thor have in the laundry rooms? He's not looking for me, is he?"

"Shut your trap, criminal, and sort these towels properly or I'll hex your tunics from now onward!" Karash pointed her thin finger at his clothing warningly and wandered off to yell at someone else, muttering darkly all the while.

Loki shrugged and tried to re sort his folding. He wasn't sure if the elven maiden would be bold enough to bewitch his clothing or not, but he wasn't keen to find out.

He spent a good hour working in peace before he noticed that the women working with him were all crowding down toward the doorway of the head seamstress' workshop. Rolling his eyes and guessing that his brother must have made an appearance, he finished the load of towels he was working on and then sauntered over to the gaggle of women. His height advantage only did him so much good when the tallest of the laundresses, an ogress, was standing right in front of the door and blocking everyone's view.

"Might you have a seamer that she can borrow?" Thor's voice inquired.

"You come here wanting to take my tools and you do not introduce me to the young lady wanting to use them. Bad manners, Prince." The seamstress stated gently.

"I apologize, Madame Veru."

Loki made his way to the front and peered around the ogress' waist to see what his brother was up to. Much to the dark prince's surprise, Thor was not alone. Maisy Sichore stood beside him, wearing ridiculously baggy black clothes. Upon further spying, Loki realized that they were his clothes.

"I'm Maisy, ma'am. I just wanted to borrow your, uh, seamer to make some clothes for myself. If that's alright with you, of course." Her voice was but a squeak when confronted with the strong, steady voice of Madame Veru, a dwarf of hardy upbringing.

"If you are a friend of Prince's then I will make your clothes for you and no one else."

"Oh no, that's okay, I love to make my own stuff. Sewing is kinda a hobby of mine."

"Hush, I will make you clothes. Do not deprive me of the pride I take in my work."

"Okay, um, sure."

The young woman sounded disappointed, as if she was looking for something to do. Loki wondered why. It wasn't as if there weren't things to do in the places she was allowed to venture. The garden and library were excellent spots to visit.

"Burgundy. Deep red. This color will suit you."

Loki narrowed his eyes. Even if he didn't know this girl well yet she was part of _his_ household. Red was Thor's color.

"Madame Veru," Thor prompted gently, "I was thinking perhaps a nice shade of green would go better with her eyes."

Deep within his hardened heart, Loki felt a familiar brotherly love for Thor. At least he wasn't a complete idiot all the time.

"Green, hmm? I suppose. Very good. Now leave."

"Madame, before we go, could I still, possibly, maybe, borrow some sewing tools? A needle and thread even. I'd just like to have something to do."

"I'm sure one of the high ladies around here has some embroidery that you can work on. Now get out."

Thor guided the Midgardian out and Loki quickly jumped out of the way so as not to be seen. The laundresses and seamstresses all gathered around the crown prince, trying to be respectful but also curious about the stranger with him.

"Is that Jane Foster?" One of the younger laundresses asked Loki in a whisper.

"No. Ms. Foster is a brunette."

"So you've actually seen her in person?"

"Yes. She's been to Asgard. I'm sure some of the maids could tell you more than I could."

"Doubt it. You've actually talked to her," The girl snorted, "So if that ain't Jane Foster, who is it?"

"Another Midgardian."

"Huh."

"If you help me finish my tasks here then I can tell you all about her," Loki offered.

"Yeah? Alright. But you hafta tell me all about Jane Foster too."

"Deal."

 **Note from the author: I apologize about the last update being all in code. Hopefully I've remedied it.**


	7. Chapter 7

As Thor was not willing to risk showing Maisy any place outside of her and Loki's boundaries, the tour was relatively short. However, the prince made it enjoyable, telling her all kinds of stories about his childhood in the palace. He mentioned Loki a few times, but Maisy got the impression that the younger prince was not often involved in the games his brother played.

"Finally, here we are at the library!"

"Whoa. That's a lot of books."

"Yes, books on anything you could ever wish to know. We, of course, have easier ways to access knowledge, but to some the library is the most reliable and best place to come. I recall one time Loki broke our mother's favorite necklace and he hid in here for three days. I brought him food. Mother and Father knew that I knew where he was, but I did not say a word. By the third day they were so worried about him that they'd forgotten all about the broken jewelry."

"If I recollect correctly, you _did_ say a word," A cool voice called from the second level. Loki smiled down at them from behind the railing and then swaggered down the spiral staircase, "Or rather, Mother overheard you say 'he's in the library' when you were trying to impress Sif."

"Ah yes, and both of us mucked out the stables for a week. Father was furious at you for hiding and at me for helping you. Mother was just mad that we brought food into the library."

Maisy shrunk back behind Thor as Loki got closer and tried to will herself into invisibility. So far it didn't seem as if he'd noticed her and she hoped to keep it that way. She wasn't as afraid of him as she had been at first, but she also hadn't spoken to him in two days (the last time she'd said anything to him was to ask if there was any shampoo, which he did not know because he didn't know what "shampoo" meant). When he was in their room she usually tried to be asleep or pretending to be asleep.

"What brings you to the library, brother? Finished with your chores for the day already?"

"Yes, and believe it or not I did not cause a riot amongst the servants. I shall be returning to the same task tomorrow and continue to do so until I do cause a problem. After that I do not know what Odin shall do with me as I've almost exhausted all of the positions he's assigned."

"Tell me, where is this miraculous place that did not demand you be reassigned?" Thor teased.

"The laundry room."

"Really? We were just down there earlier, weren't we Maisy?"

"Yep," She nodded and then moved to the nearest bookshelf and began browsing the titles. Hoping they wouldn't ask her any other questions, she internally panicked. Loki had probably already noticed that she'd taken his clothes and she hadn't had a chance to alter them yet so he could still ask for them back and make her wear the nightgown again.

"What brought the mighty prince of Asgard down to the lowly laundry room, hmm?"

A glance over her shoulder told her that Loki was directing the question at her. She broke the eye contact hastily and resumed her perusal of the shelves.

"Ms. Sichore is interested in sewing! Apparently she has taken several classes on the art of it and does it quite marvelously. She had a sampler in her backpack and showed it to me."

"It is too bad she has no fabric to work with."

Maisy bit her lip and slipped behind another bookshelf to hide the clothes she was wearing. It seemed he had already guessed her plans for his shirt and pants. She just hoped Thor had the good sense not to mention the…"

"Ah, but she is resourceful! Curtains are her chosen material."

"Oh the curtains as well as my leisure clothes! How clever of you, Maisy."

"Your clothes? You are mistaken-"

"Well if you'd freaking let me have something to wear besides that ratty nightgown then I wouldn't have to freaking steal your clothes, pal!" She exploded, stepping out from behind the bookshelf with a heavy volume in hand.

"My apologies, it was my personal choice to make you wear that all week long," He sneered, "I told Odin, 'you know that woman I married? Yes, the Midgardian, no don't give her any clothes. I think that's the best way to get to know her is to deprive her of any basic needs besides food and a lavatory.'"

"You honestly have nothing but a nightgown to wear?" Thor exclaimed, somewhat angrily, "Brother, if you had told me-"

"If I had known then I surely would have!"

"Maisy, why did you not say something to him?" Thor asked, turning back to her.

"I didn't realize that needing clean clothes was something that needed to be explained," She crossed her arms and glared at both men, "I was under the impression that I just wasn't allowed to have anything else."

"Obviously there has been some miscommunication somewhere. Odin may be one of my least favorite people, but he would surely arrange for someone to take care of your basic needs," Loki shrugged.

"Um," Thor put a hand on his brother's shoulder, "I think that someone is you."

"I- oh."

"But it is alright. Madame Veru is already making her some clothing. Is there anything else that has been amiss, Maisy? Let us sort it out now."

"My blankets need to be washed. Now that I've been down to the laundry room I can figure that out for myself," She thought over the many mental complaints that she had had over the past week, "I need something to do besides read. I can't just sit in that room all day or I'll go crazy."

"How would you like to go for a stroll with me in the garden tomorrow? I will not always be able to do it, but when I have time that might be a good way to get some fresh air," Thor suggested, "And when I cannot I can see if one of my friends will be able to do so."

Maisy glanced at Loki and saw him frowning. She ignored him and nodded.

"Fine. That sounds good," She searched her mind for anything else, "I want all of the contents of my backpack returned. I know there are some missing so don't try to fool me. I want my phone, my wallet, and my sketchbook back."

"Odin has taken those for reasons that he has not shared with me. I can see what I can do to get them back, but I make no promises."

"Okay."

"Is there anything else?"

"I want someone to let my Dad know that I'm okay. My ex boyfriend too, he probably saw something on the news and is freaking out."

"I thought you were no longer together?" Thor asked.

"No, but I think he'd still want to know. He was pretty upset when I broke up with him and he seemed to be worried that I'd get into trouble without him. I guess he was right."

"I shall do my best to find him and your father and let them know of your safety and your situation."

"And hey, if you can find my mom let her know too - not that she'll care."

"I will set out immediately!" Thor announced. True to his word, he turned and left the couple alone in the library.

"Ms. Sichore," Loki sighed, "I _am_ sorry about this."

"Good." She turned her back on him and tried to remember the way back to their room, or any other room she was allowed in, but her mind went blank. So she began to leave the library and hoped she'd end up in a familiar place eventually.

"What did you think of the palace?" Loki asked, walking with her.

"It was good."

"That's it? You are in one of the most splendid buildings in all the realms and the only adjective you can think of is 'good'."

Maisy did not feel like talking to him so she quickened her pace and tried to block him out.

"If you are planning on going to the room you are going the wrong way."

"Then tell me how to get there and leave me alone."

"Actually, Odin requested to see both of us in his study when I'd finished with my tasks. I don't think he was expecting me to be done until much later, but I'm sure he won't mind the surprise."

"Fine, whatever."

"But you really can't meet the king of Asgard looking like that."

"I'm clean, these clothes are clean, I see no problem."

Loki stepped in front of her, causing her to come to an abrupt stop. He looked her up and down appraisingly. Maisy fought the urge to hit him.

"Midgardians may have a different idea of formal apparel that we do, but you honestly don't see anything wrong with those oversized, baggy, _men's_ clothes?"

"Nope."

"Well, he's sure to kill you on the spot if he thinks you're being disrespectful so…"

"What? Really? Oh gosh, what am I going to wear? Do you know any women I can borrow something from?"

"I was joking. But he probably will be peeved."

Maisy was finding she and Loki had very different senses of humor.

"I guess, if you know of something I can wear then that would be fine. If it's not a huge deal then I won't worry about it, but I don't want to piss off the king."

"Lucky for you, we don't even need to worry about finding you something else to wear," Loki gestured to her and she looked down at herself.

"Whoa."

"Indeed, I'm not a fashion expert, but it doesn't hurt to pay attention to clothing when one will more than likely be creating illusions of it at some point."

The frumpy shirt and pants had been transformed to a floor length black dress with golden trim on the sleeves, collar, and hem. It wasn't exceedingly glamorous, but it had a simple elegance that lent it flexibility in it's uses.

"It's not real then? I'm still just wearing the shirt and pants and you're tricking my eyes into thinking it's a dress?"

"Not exactly. It won't last if you stray too far from me, but it's as real as I want it to be for the moment." He surveyed her once more, this time more kindly and then offered his arm to her. Maisy pretended as if she hadn't seen the gesture, but he grabbed her hand nonetheless and began to lead her through the halls.

"So what do you think he wants to talk to us about?"

"My guess is that he's setting his grand scheme in motion. You are about to become public."

"What does that mean?" Maisy asked, not sure if she liked the sound of it.

"It is a huge disgrace to Odin to have one of his 'sons' be in the state that I currently find myself in. Not all of the details have been disclosed to the people of Asgard, but they are aware that Odin has been rehabilitating me - or so _he_ claims."

"So he wants to get you back to being a prince as soon as he can so that people forget about what you did to Earth."

"Basically. To say that I have changed so much in the year that has passed would be impossible for the people to believe. There needs to be some inciting factor that made me change," When Maisy glanced at him he got a gleam in his eye that warned her he was about to say or do something she wouldn't wholly like, "And what better story to tell than a love story?"

Sure enough, his hand slunk to her waist and he nearly swept her off her feet. Holding her close and placing their faces so near that she could see the specks of blue in his green eyes, he grinned impishly. Maisy blushed.

"It will be like a fairy tale. A prince and a mysterious girl from a far off realm, brought together by odd circumstances, fallen in love over… well I'm not sure if Odin is creative enough to come up with much of a story. He might even tell the truth - with a few embellishments."

He set her back in a standing position and they continued walking as if nothing had happened. Maisy thought her face must be as red as a tomato and her hands were suddenly shaking, but Loki didn't seem affected at all.

"So I'm your reason for turning good?"

"That's what I'm assuming he'll say. Everyone loves a love story, almost as much as they like a tale of redemption. If all goes smoothly, in the eyes of the public we will be a perfectly happy part of the royal family, just as things were before."

"And I suppose in reality you're still going to be in trouble with Odin and I'll never be able to go home." She bit her lip and glanced around her. It was a pretty cage, but a cage all the same.

"I am sorry about that," Loki said quietly, "The original plan was for me to be engaged to you and then we break it off after your life was saved. Then we could send you home and never have to hear from you again."

"Well…" She looked at him, "Thanks for trying anyway. At least I'm not dead, right?"

"And this way I get off probation much faster, so there is that for me." He winked.

"Yeah, there is that."

 **Note from the author: Thank you for reading.**


	8. Chapter 8

"You want me to _what_?"

Odin blinked slowly and looked at her as if she were an idiot.

"It is not that complicated. I want you two to take a walk through the marketplace while holding hands."

"But," Maisy did want to get out of the palace, but she wasn't sure if she could stand being in such close proximity to Loki for that long, "What about his probation? He can't leave the palace, right?"

"You will find that in the coming months his probation will become more and more lenient. You will do this all tomorrow. Be sure people see you," He dismissed them by picking up a paper and reading over it, "That is all."

The couple both glared at him for a moment before leaving the study. Once in the hallway they both let loose a torrent of curses, the majority of which were directed at Odin.

"I can't believe he wants us to be together in public!" Maisy grumbled, crossing her arms and walking swiftly toward where she recalled the kitchen being.

"Well, I warned you." Loki pointed out, following her closely.

"You know what we need?" She exclaimed, tripping over her long skirt slightly. She huffed irritably and pulled said skirt up to her knees and continued walking.

"A divorce?" Loki suggested.

"A drink. Where's the best place to get a beer around this place?"

"There is a tavern in town… but that is far out of my limits," He regarded her curiously, "Aren't you a bit young by Midgardian standards to be drinking alcohol?"

"No, and it's not like the bars here are going to card me. Guess they couldn't anyways, Odin has my driver's license," She swore again but the expression sounded odd coming from her mouth.

"Calm down, will you? Holding hands in public isn't Ragnarok or anything."

"Are you saying you _want_ to?"

"I'm saying it's not like we actually have to like each other. Just put on a good show. The vikings didn't call me the 'god of tricks and lies' for nothing."

"I failed my acting class," Maisy stopped dead in her tracks and looked at him, "What if Odin thinks I'm not doing what he wants? What if he kills me? Oh my gosh. I'm going to die. I'm going to-"

He put his finger to her lips.

"You aren't going to die. It's only our first outing. You don't have to say or do a thing. Then, once we've spent an acceptable amount of time in the market, we'll simply come back to the palace," He removed his finger and gripped her shoulders gently, smiling, "I can relax with a book and you can… do whatever it is you like doing."

"Alright," Her muscles relaxed and she took a deep breath, imagining sitting down in the library with a pen and a page and sketching, "Okay. We can do this."

He stepped back a few inches and dropped his hands. They resumed walking, at a slower pace.

"Thanks," She grunted as they walked, "I didn't mean to freak out on you."

"You are welcome," He nodded. Her moods seemed to switch much faster than anyone else he'd ever met. Perhaps it was a Midgardian thing.

"You wanna," She hesitated, slowing her gait and looking at him, "You wanna get something to eat? Together, I mean?"

"I won't dare to steal food from the kitchen if that's what you're thinking," Loki commented, "And I haven't been allowed to eat dinners in the feasting hall for quite some time."

"Well, uh," She was blushing again, "Where do you normally eat?"

"There is an appointed time when I am supposed to go to the kitchen and get my tray. Of late I've been eating in the garden so as not to disturb you," He watched her trip on her hem again and waved his hand so she was wearing his baggy clothes once more, "Would you care to join me?"

"Sure," She smiled briefly, "Maybe we can get to know each other a little better. You know?"

"Certainly," He felt bad that he hadn't bothered to speak to her other than to answer her questions before this. Part of it was because his tasks kept him so busy that he simply wanted to sleep when he got back to his room and part of it was because he didn't want to acknowledge the fact that he was a married man. And married to a stranger, no less.

"My dinner should be ready for pick up in an hour."

"That's about the same time they deliver mine to your room," She pulled her arms into the oversized sleeves and flopped them about absently, "Meet you in the garden?"

"Very well. I shall see you then…" He debated whether or not to do it, but finally grabbed her sleeve covered wrist and rolled the sleeve back enough that he could kiss her hand, "My lady."

 **Note from the author: Thank you for reading. Thank you very much to Liza for reviewing, I appreciate it very much. :D**


	9. Chapter 9

She blushed the whole way back to the room and her heart was beating crazily by the time she got there. She sat down in one of the chairs and realized what she'd just arranged.

"I'm going on a date with him!" She whispered to herself, "Oh gosh, what have I done?!"

Maybe it wouldn't suck. Maybe they'd get along and she'd find that her situation wasn't as bad as she thought. It wasn't like he wasn't attractive, it was just the whole "alien warlord" thing that made him so scary. Maybe once she got to know him she wouldn't mind being stuck with him.

But no matter how many times she told herself that everything would be fine, she couldn't shake the paralyzing fear that he'd murder her. Or worse! They wouldn't get along and she'd go back to hiding in the corner whenever she saw him and he'd continue to ignore her and her basic needs. Maybe they'd go on like that until she died of boredom or withered away into an old lady.

"Oh no," She wrapped her arms around herself, "Oh no, this is going to be bad."

But the worst part was the waiting for an hour until a maid brought in her food tray.

When she finally had the tray in hand she cautiously left the room to try and find her way to the one garden that Loki was allowed to be in. On the way there she passed a group of men who looked to be about her age, although it was quite difficult to tell since Asgardians seemed to live for thousands of years.

So far, whenever she'd come across another Asgardian, she'd had someone with her. Thor. She'd had Thor with her. After all, she'd only just left the room today. When she'd been with Thor no one had seemed to want to bother her, likely because he was the prince or perhaps because he was a shredded man who looked like he knew his way around a weapon. Without him by her side she felt incredibly exposed to the group of men and felt ready to turn and run when they began to grin in her direction.

She kept her eyes focused on the path ahead and tried to worry about not spilling her food instead of the men who were, oh crap, they were getting closer to her now. This was not good. This was not good. Mission abort, mission abort!

"You're new here, aren't you?" One of the boys, probably the leader since he was the first one to speak, stepped right in front of her and she had to come to a hasty stop, "Haven't they had time to make you a properly fitting uniform? Norns!"

"Huh?"

"Whose tray do you have?" He lifted the lid on the tray to reveal the steaming food, "Hmm, not nearly as good as what they serve in the grand hall."

"Come on Drin, stop bothering the servants!" Another young man demanded, "We've got to get to training!"

Maisy was much in agreement with this boy and thankful that he caught this Drin character's attention. When Drin looked the other way she tried to sneak past him, but she was in such a hurry to get away that she didn't see when his foot slid out and tripped her. She went down like an elevator with a snapped wire and her food scattered across the polished floor.

"Hey!" She said, although she wasn't sure what she was going to say after that.

"You can't get away that easily," Drin laughed, "You're too pretty for that."

"Oh c'mon!" The other men groaned, "What is it with you and the maids?"

"What do you want?" Maisy asked, still shaking from her fall and trying desperately to get to her feet. Before she could find her own way back up Drin grabbed her arm and hoisted her into a standing position, far too close to him for her liking.

"It isn't only your uniform that tipped me off," He smiled, "I know all of the maids around here. Tell me your name, give me a kiss, and I'll let you be on your way. Pity that it cost your tray, but you should no better than to walk away from a noble when they're talking to you."

"I'm not going to kiss you!" She growled, finding a little courage and trying to pull away from him. The Asgardians were much stronger than she thought.

"Then you aren't going to be getting back to work any time soon!" Drin laughed, "At least tell me your name, hmm? That can't do anyone any harm, now can it?"

"Maisy, now leave me alone!"

"Maisy? What an idiotic thing to be called! It sounds like an infant trying to say 'daisy'. I think I'll call you that instead, Daisy. You are pretty like a flower."

"Let go of my arm!"

"Give me a kiss."

"I won't!" She suddenly thought of a brilliant excuse, "I'm married!"

"Lying is so unbecoming," Drin scolded, "C'mon, what's the harm in one little kiss?"

"Get away from me!"

He was leaning closer the more she struggled. She tried stomping on his foot, she tried kneeing him in the groin, and she would have hit him if he hadn't restrained her arms. Nothing was working.

Just as his lips were about to touch her face she heard someone clear their throat and Drin looked up. His expression became one of shock for a moment, but he didn't let go of Maisy.

"What do you want, criminal?"

"I may not be an expert on romance," A cool voice said, "But even I can tell when a girl isn't interested."

Maisy wasn't sure if she should be more afraid or if she should be relieved at the sound of Loki's voice. She wished she could see what expression he was making, but Drin was holding her head so she couldn't turn it.

"This is none of your business."

"A group of young men are harassing a woman in the halls of the palace. That may not be an issue relating to me normally," His voice lowered menacingly, "But it certainly is my business when that woman is my intended."

Maisy was dropped and she didn't have a moment to collect herself so she fell to the ground, feeling very much like a useless damsel in distress. She could finally get a good look at Loki's face and he appeared to be livid. Whether it was at her or at the boys she wasn't sure, but she was certainly glad to be free of Drin's sweaty grip.

"I knew they had you scrubbing pots nowadays, trickster, but I never took you for one to fall in love with a serving girl."

"Just because she's wearing black and carrying a tray doesn't mean that she is a servant, Drin," Loki stepped closer and offered Maisy a hand, "Now get out of here before I do something to endanger my probation."

For extra measure he zapped one of them with a bolt of green magic. The young men scurried off, Drin scowling fiercely all the while. When they were gone Maisy turned to Loki and he yanked her to her feet. The raw anger on his face was very slowly going away, and even more slowly being replaced by concern.

"Those disgusting muscle heads," He growled, "I remember when Thor went through a phase like that. He wanted to kiss every girl in sight and few refused him because he was the prince. Revolting."

Maisy was still in a bit of a shock and couldn't seem to find any response to his angry mutterings. So she let him ramble on about how those boys were idiots who couldn't think without a sword in their hands and even then their wisdom was limited. By the time that the rage was completely gone from his face he'd herded her to the garden. He was finally calm enough to look at her, but she avoided eye contact, still feeling scared of him.

"Are you well, Maisy?" He asked, sighing a little with the question.

"Huh?" She looked at him and looked away again, "Yeah. Fine. I'm okay."

"You do not seem it," He put a hand on her shoulder, "Did Drin hurt you?"

"I mean, a little, but it's fine! I'm fine!"

"When Thor gets back you ought to tell him what happened, he'll ensure those idiots get what's coming to them."

"No!" Maisy turned back to look at him, "We can't tell Thor! What if he tells Odin? What if Odin sees it as breaking one of the rules?"

Loki paused.

"You make a valid point. I could see him claiming that you were after Drin romantically-"

"He's the one who-"

"I know that, and Odin, if he had any common sense, would realize that as well, but honestly, he's looking for any excuse to get rid of you."

"I thought he wanted to use us to get you back on the public's good side. Why is he so intent on killing me if he wants to use me?"

"Truly, I think he still wants to use a romance story to return me to a respectable position," Loki pulled a tray of food out from behind the stone bench that they were sitting on and took off the covering. Maisy noted that his food looked and smelled like it had much more seasoning than hers usually did, "However, I don't think he is keen on the idea of you filling the role of savior."

"So he wants to get me out of the picture," She paused to sniff his food, "So that he can have some other lady flutter in here and help you turn your life around."

"Exactly," He cut his meat in almost-half and shrewdly offered her the smaller piece, "Hungry?"

"Thanks."

"I think tomorrow will be sort of a test run," Loki commented, "He wants to see how the public reacts to you, and to us together. He might want you to wear Midgardian clothing to show the people that you are different. If the public objects at all then Odin will likely give us more rules to follow, making it harder and harder for us to remain together - at least without quarreling. But if the townspeople like us then he may continue with his 'redemption' plan and make us go into the public more often."

"You really know how he thinks, huh?" Maisy commented and then took a bite of the meat. It was ten times better than the bland food that she'd been eating for the past week.

"He was the one who taught me to play strategy games."

They fell silent as they ate and admired the beauty of the garden. They sat there, peacefully, for about an hour before Maisy remembered she hadn't thanked him yet.

"Thanks," She whispered.

"For what?"

"For saving me from that guy," She winced, "And for saving my life. I never thanked you for that."

"The latter was really more of Thor's doing," Loki shrugged, "As for Drin… the insolent brat needs to be taught a lesson now and then."

"He seemed like he's one of those guys who's used to getting whatever he wants."

"Probably, his father is one of Odin's favorite advisors."

"Well thanks again. I really appreciate it," She quietly added, "I didn't expect the guy who blew up New York to be so nice."

Loki gave her a curious glance and firmly took her hand in his.

"What did you expect me to do? Allow a pompous boy to harass and kiss _my_ wife."

"I mean, if we were really married then, sure, I could see you doing that, but it's not like this," She held up her ring hand, "Means much, right?"

That seemed to make him mad again and he squeezed her hand tightly, fully turning to look at her and pulling her closer to meet his gaze. She couldn't help but squirm a little.

"We may be married only out of necessity or to spite Odin, we may not care much for one another and I may be irritated at your _Midgardian-ness_ , but we are married," He leered somewhat cruelly, "Husband and wife. That makes you part of my household and it would be incredibly _dishonorable_ of me not to look after those in my household because they are mine to protect. I wouldn't have let that welp kiss you even if you wanted him to because _we are married_."

Maisy's brow furrowed and she pulled her hand away from him.

"Calm down, Loki," She said, raising her voice, "It's not like I belong to you."

He laughed but there was no humor in it.

"In a sense, yes, you do."

 _Slap!_

"At the beginning of the week you asked me why I broke up with my boyfriend," She stood up and glared down at him, "Well, you still want to know why? He was overly possessive. He said things like that to - that I belonged to him! Well I didn't and I'm not yours either! I am a person!"

"I was merely stating the facts," He seemed amused by her outburst, as if this were some kind of joke.

"You said it yourself," She began walking away, "We don't care for one another. So don't act like I mean anything to you and certainly don't act like I'm yours. Cause I'm not and I won't ever be!"

He stood up and was following her as the sun was setting behind them. She didn't look back even though the colors of the sunset were amazing and seemed far more vibrant than those on Earth. Even though this was the first sunset she'd seen all week because the window in _his_ room faced the wrong direction. She wouldn't look back even though he was calling her name. Even though his voice sounded like it was preparing an apology. Instead, she hiked up the too big pants and stormed off in the direction of the library. There was no way she was going back to the room. She didn't care if one of the rules said that they had to share a room, it wasn't as if Odin would find out.

"Maisy!" Loki sounded farther behind her now so maybe he'd stopped following, "My apologies but-"

She stopped then and turned around. He looked hopeful that she was going to forgive him, but instead she yelled at him where he could shove his apologies because she didn't want to hear it. That seemed to stun him into silence and she continued on her march to the library.

 **Note from the author: Thank you for reading and special thanks to bustercleel for reviewing. You are an awesome human being (assuming you are human).**


	10. Chapter 10

He trudged back to his room, muttering and scowling to himself the whole way there. Upon arriving in his chambers, he kicked apart the nest that Maisy had made for herself, uncovering his missing books inside the blanket pile. He picked up the books and put them back on the shelf before returning to spitefully kicking apart the blankets and pillows. Growling in frustration when the nest had been thoroughly destroyed, he stormed into the bathroom.

"What in the nine realms is this?" He asked, yanking a floating piece of fabric out of the full bathtub, "Oh."

He blushed and dropped the nightgown back into the tub. Going over to the mirror and feeling increasingly irate he glamoured himself to look like Maisy and snootily held his head aloft.

"Oh I am just the worlds' leading expert on relationships and marriages," He mocked her voice, and made exaggerated movements as he strutted around with her face, "Just because _I've_ actually been in a relationship before! So ha!"

He scowled at the face he'd created and daintily held his hand up high.

"It isn't as if _this_ ring means anything, _right?_ "

"Ma'am?" A timid and familiar voice by the door asked. Loki's eyes widened and he blinked back into his regular appearance before turning around with a sinister smirk to scare whoever had snuck up on him. He dropped the smirk when he saw that it was the young laundress who'd helped him with his chores earlier.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, "Sorry, I could have sworn you was a woman a minute ago."

He winked at her and changed his appearance to match her own and she laughed heartily at this.

"That's because I was. What do you want?"

She held up a box and smiled toothily at him.

"Madame Veru finished that girl's clothes early. She told me that Prince Thor told her to deliver them to _your_ room. You told me earlier that lady was just a friend of Prince Thor's. I fink you was lying."

"Alright, you want to know the truth?" He grabbed the box from her and tossed it over his shoulder. Crossing his arms he looked down his nose at this girl. She had the look of a Krylorian about her with her pink skin. Her voice sounded like it had a Midgardian quality to it though.

"Duh."

He suppressed a smile at her nonchalant tone. She didn't seem to care that he'd murdered people or that he was a prince.

"That lady, Maisy Sichore, is my…" He wasn't sure what to tell her. Odin didn't want the public to know that they were married - likely because a big royal wedding would occur later to boost morale throughout the kingdom and to provide well paying jobs for bakers, florists, and the like. Loki supposed calling Maisy his fiancee wouldn't please Odin either if word got out. There would have to be a public engagement at some point. "Well, she's my intended."

The girl gasped excitedly.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Do you love her?"

"Uh… yes."

"No wonder Prince Thor said she couldn't wear red! Madame Veru still finks that they are a couple. She wouldn't listen to a word of objection because she finks that the lady would look best in this," The girl retrieved the box from where Loki tossed it and took off the lid, revealing dark red fabric, "I can't wait to tell the other girls in the laundry room!"

Loki frowned at the red clothes, but simply waved his hand over them and cast a spell to change them into green clothing instead. He looked back up at the excited girl.

"Remind me of your name?"

"Linnea, but you can call me Linn - my friends all do."

"Are we friends?"

"Obviously," Linn snorted and moved around the room, coming across the scattered blankets on the floor, "Eh, you want me to clean these?"

"That would be ideal," He gestured to the bathroom, "And there are some items in there that need to be cleaned as well. A nightgown in the tub and some Midgardian articles that are stained with blood."

"Righto," Linn skipped around the room, picking up the dirty laundry and tied up all of the pieces in the biggest of the blankets since she'd neglected to bring a blanket along with her, "You coming back to the laundry room tomorrow, Loki?"

Not a proper address or even a "sir". Unbelievable.

"Perhaps."

"See ya then!"

Linn left the room, but a few seconds later Loki poked his head out into the hallway and called after her.

"When you've finished with those you should bring a blanket to the library, I suspect that is where Maisy is now. Don't tell anyone."

Linn squealed excitedly and ran off to take care of the laundry. Loki rolled his eyes.

* * *

Near the back wall of the library Maisy found a cushioned settee and tried in vain to find a comfortable position on it. When she was finally in a position that she thought she could sleep in, regardless of the neck pain she might have in the morning, she closed her eyes and tried not to think about anything. Especially not that self-righteous, possessive, admittedly rather handsome blockhead.

Just as she was on the precipice of unconsciousness, she heard the great library door creak open just enough to let a person in. Suddenly, Maisy was bolt upright and grabbing what appeared to be a metal measuring stick of some kind, although it was about three and a half feet long and had no recognizable markings on it. Hiding behind one of the bookcases, she watched as a female shadow moved toward her.

"Helloooo? Lady Sichore? Maisy? Loki said you'd be in here and dat I should bring you a blanket!" A girl with pink skin and a lavender colored, mid-calf length dress poked her head around the bookcase that Maisy hid behind and waved to her, "Oh, hello!"

"Hi," Maisy stood up, pulling up her pants as she did so - they were so irritatingly baggy and _way_ too long, "Sorry, I thought you might be someone trying to kick me out or something."

"Nope, not me," The pink girl held out a soft and fluffy gold colored blanket, "I'm just Linn!"

"Loki told you to bring me a blanket?" Maisy asked.

"Yes ma'am, that he did. I fink he was worried about you. He was being awful funny when I chatted wit him."

"Sorry, what did you say your name was?"

"Linnea, but you can call me Linn. My friends do," The girl casually browsed through the ancient tomes and pulled a heavy looking one off a shelf, "I work down in laundry. I saw you and Prince Thor down there earlier today but Loki says you is _his_ girlfriend or somefing like dat."

"Yeah, or something."

"You ain't com-for-table on that teeny couch are ya? Cuz there's a much better one on the upstairs of this place, wanna see?"

"Uh, sure."

Linn put the book back - upside down - and grabbed Maisy's wrist, pulling her up the spiralling wooden staircase and onto the second level. Sure enough, right smack in the middle was a charming sitting area including a much bigger couch with much bigger cushions. Linn fluffed one of the pillows for her and patted it.

"Much better, eh?"

"Much," Maisy plopped down and covered herself with the warm blanket, "And thank you for the blanket."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Maisy rolled onto her side sleepily, "Fire away."

"Are you really from Midgard?"

"That's Earth right? Yeah. I'm from California."

"Dat's amazing," Linn sighed, "Me dad says me mum was a Midgardian but she ran out on us when I was two. Probably went back to Midgard."

"How'd she get in space in the first place?" Maisy asked, "I mean, whatever planet you're from?"

"I'm not really from anywhere. Dad worked on Xandar for a while, but he didn't trust the Nova Corp so he moved us to Alfheim. We lived there for a little while, but Dad got in trouble with some people so we packed up and went to Vanaheim. A bunch of girls there were getting offered jobs in Asgard and Dad told them I'd go if he could hitch a ride too. He takes me wages to pay the debt he owes a guy on Arima - that's in Alpha Centauri. Long time ago me dad stopped by Midgard to see what the people there were like and he picked up me mum and took her on some adventures. Dat was back before his ship was repossessed, mind you."

"Wow. You've been all over the place," Maisy yawned, "Huh?"

"Me dad always said we was nomads."

Maisy found this girl's life incredibly fascinating, but it was also pretty late and she was exhausted. Before she could say anything about how impressed she was she fell asleep. Linn patted her head and left the library smiling.

 **A/N: Thank you for reading and a special thank you to Mystic Vampyre. You are my new favorite vampyre.**


	11. Chapter 11

Linn was generally in a good mood, it was just her nature. While doing her work in the laundry room in the grand palace she was usually smiling or whistling. It wasn't that she particularly enjoyed folding and scrubbing the clothes of nobles, but everyday she was awed that she got to live in a castle. The girl figured that anyone should be absolutely thrilled to be living in the golden halls and she was continuously confounded by her coworkers pessimistic attitudes. So what if they were servants? At least they earned a nice wage - well, those who didn't have to give all their money to their father to pay debts - and they had comfortable beds to sleep in. Free food was another plus. Not to mention getting to look at all of the pretty clothes that nobles wore!

It was not uncommon to hear Linn whistling as she walked through the servant's quarters, but she could typically refrain from doing so past curfew. So it was not unexpected when a boot came flying out of someone's room and nearly hit her in the head. Linn ducked and quieted. She made her way to the staff dining room and grabbed a plate of the dinner that would be left out until the last night shift of the maids at two in the morning.

Devouring the bread, cheese, and bland meat, Linn tapped her feet with excited energy and started daydreaming. Her fantasies were part of what kept her so happy in the palace. She liked to imagine that she was a princess - little sister to the two princes - and that Queen Frigga had trained her in magic. In these daydreams Linn became the best sorceress in all of the nine realms and she traveled from place to place, helping people with her magic. It was a fun dream.

When she wasn't feeling quite so fantastical, she'd imagine that she would be collecting laundry from the room of some wealthy nobility and they'd decide to adopt her, whisking her away from her father and his debts. And, since she did love her dad, she used her family's new wealth to pay her father's debts and give him a job in the palace too so that she could still see him on occasion.

Tonight she had a new daydream that she was enjoying almost as much as the food she was munching on. In this dream she was best friends with Maisy Sichore and with Jane Foster (even though she'd never met Thor's girlfriend) and the three of them were like sisters. And it turned out that the older girls could be very motherly and they taught her all the things Linn knew her mother would have taught her if she'd been around.

The young laundress was so absorbed in her new dream that she did not see when the fire, which was just smoldering in the hearth, became a flame, and then slowly crept into a blaze. She did look over and see when that blaze took on the shape of a man, but before she had time to call out, the man pounced from the fireplace and covered her mouth, which was still full of food.

"So sorry about giving you a fright," The man's voice hissed, "But I do believe you are just what I'm looking for."

"Hmm mm mmm?!" Linn struggled against his strong hold and tried to elbow him in the gut as she'd been trained in the mandatory self defense class that all the female servants of the palace had to take. However, the class hadn't had enough time to cover what to do when a man jumps out of a fireplace and pins you to your chair.

"Don't panic, I'll be gone soon and you'll never even know that I was here," He removed his hand from her mouth, but she found it impossible to scream, "What's your name? You may whisper."

"Linnea," She didn't want to answer and she certainly didn't want to whisper, but she couldn't help it, "My friends call me Linn."

"How nice," He cooed, and his smile looked almost kind, "This might hurt for a tiny bit, but only until it erases this memory. Now open your mouth."

She complied unwillingly and the man, whose features were cloaked in either shadow or soot, pulled a small orb out of his pocket. It looked like an orange and black marble and when he popped it in her mouth it felt like one too. Then it started to burn and though she couldn't, all Linn wanted to do was shriek in pain. The burn wasn't just in her mouth, the marble dissolved, but it's heat filled her brain and her chest and she suddenly couldn't focus on the man anymore. Her eyes closed and she felt everything stop before she fell asleep.

She didn't see the man go back to the hearth and burn up like a paper in the fire and she certainly didn't see his grim and threatening smile.


	12. Chapter 12

There was a pounding on the door and Loki groaned and wished he had a pillow to pull over his head. Unfortunately, Maisy had claimed all of the pillows and Linn had taken all of Maisy's nest to be cleaned. So there was nothing to do but lie in bed and try to ignore the person attempting to gain entry.

"Brother, open up!"

Of course it would be Thor. No one else took such pleasure in being awake this early and in causing those who were not morning people displeasure. Loki rolled out of bed and opened the door to come face to face with his brother, who looked like he had not slept, but somehow still seemed fully awake.

"What do you want?"

"Might I speak with Maisy?"

Loki was about to say that she wasn't in, but he couldn't be sure that Thor wouldn't report that to Odin. Then again, Thor had been the one to bring Maisy all the way to Asgard in the hope of saving her life and he'd seemed more than peeved at Odin for his blatant disregard for her life.

"Why?"

"I have returned from Midgard and informing her relatives to her whereabouts - they did not take it well - but I have a few questions I need to ask about her ex-lover."

From down the hall a little ways they heard a little bit of humming from a female voice and both brothers stuck their heads out of the room to see Maisy trudging along toward them.

"Gotta long list of ex-lovers, they'll tell you I'm insane…" She sung quietly and then beamed at Thor, "Thanks so much for getting _that_ song stuck in my head. Once T-Swift goes in your ear she never comes out again."

"Uh…" Thor looked as puzzled by this as Loki felt, but he shook it off, "Maisy, good morning! I see that Odin has allowed for you to have different sleeping arrangements while you and my brother become better acquainted with one another, how nice."

"Actually, he didn't really _allow_ for it," Maisy whispered, wincing a little.

"Ah."

"We had, um, a bit of a fight and we both needed to cool down a bit. I slept in the library," She admitted, much to Loki's irritation. He didn't see the need to let Thor be privy to that information.

"Ha! I know first hand that the library is an excellent place to sleep! It is not a difficult place to fall asleep in either, what with all of those books and musty smells."

Loki rolled his eyes and stepped out of the doorway to allow Thor and Maisy entry into his chambers. They all sat down at the table and Thor's amusement sobered some. Loki tried not to make eye contact with Maisy, feeling a tad guilty about causing her to sleep in the library and therefore putting her at risk.

"To what do we owe the pleasure, Thor?" She grinned. Why was it that women always seemed so smiley in Thor's presence?

"I have just returned from a meeting with your family and thought I ought to update you about them."

"How did my dad take the news that his daughter is on an alien planet?" She wrapped her arms around herself and frowned, "He was furious when he saw the other aliens invading New York. He called me up and wanted to have me come home and see a doctor to make sure none of the aliens laid eggs in me or anything."

"I doubt any of the Chitauri were thinking of laying eggs while they were invading the city," Loki scoffed, "If they even lay eggs."

"Yeah," She scoffed right back, "But try telling that to my dad. He hates anything new or weird. When he heard that they made Thor an Avenger he called me up and told me that I wasn't supposed to go anywhere near Avenger Tower."

"Why not?" Thor sounded slightly offended by this.

"He thought you'd only come to kidnap Earth women and take them back to your planet for breeding purposes," Maisy laughed, "He's insane."

"That may explain why he fired a pistol at me when I landed on his property. And his reaction to the news I gave him after."

"Oh crap," Maisy covered her face, "What exactly did you tell him?"

"Once he calmed enough for me to explain I told him that you had been attacked by a monster and that in order to spare your life I had taken you to Asgard and that you had married my brother," Thor looked a bit embarrassed, "He promptly shot me."

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay? I'm so sorry!"

"Thus far, Midgardian weapons have not proved particularly lethal to us," Loki commented, recalling being shot several times while on Earth and only receiving some painful bruises. "Thor, did you really have to tell him about our _arrangement_?"

"He is her father! I assumed he would want to know. And that you might want his blessing! I, uh, I don't think he would have given it though."

"Well, that settles it," Maisy planted her forehead on the table, "I am never ever ever going home. Ever."

"Why not? Your father will surely like to see you since he is so worried for your safety."

"Because her father will assume that she was kidnapped," Loki crossed his arms and gave a wry grin to his brother, "For breeding purposes."

"And if I go home he'll ask questions," Maisy groaned, "And probably make me go to a doctor to make sure I'm not having alien babies or anything. Ugh. Ew."

Loki quirked a brow but had the good sense to make no comment on that.

"On the bright side," Thor patted Maisy's back, "Your three brothers seemed a little less angry."

"What did _they_ do?"

"Well, they told me that they would very much like to meet my brother."

"Yeah, and probably try and beat him up," Maisy leaned back in her chair, "Did my stepmother have anything to say about it?"

"She was quite busy smoking, but when she did speak she was… not polite and expressed that she was glad you were gone in a colorful manner. And your father got angry about that and thus began a yelling match. I had intended to leave soon after that, but I recalled that you wished for your ex to be alerted to your situation so I asked your father if he knew where to find him-"

"Oh no, tell me you didn't!"

"I did not believe it possible, but your father became even more enraged. He did not seem to know that you had a boyfriend."

"Right," Maisy swore quietly, "He didn't know. He wasn't ever going to know. And now he knows and he probably put a hit out on him. Lovely."

"I went to New York after that and asked Tony to find out where you went to school and then I asked around about you and finally found a few people who knew you and your boyfriend. They told me that he'd left town without warning and no one knew where he went," Thor gently placed a hand on her shoulder, "They also told me his name."

"Egil Belison, I could have told you that, Thor."

"Egil Belison?!" Loki exclaimed, standing up and staring down at her, "Are you certain that was his name?"

"I dated the guy for almost a year, I'm pretty certain," She glared at him, probably reminded of their argument the night before, "You know him?"

"Not personally, for which I am thankful."

"How in the world could you have heard of him?" Maisy stood up now, "He's from earth! He's studying art just like I am - was - whatever. He's not famous."

"Whatever he may have told you, he is not from Midgard," Thor warned, "And I am glad that you and he parted ways."

"As am I," Loki laughed, but he could find no humor, "I certainly would not want to be the one to separate Belison from his woman. I do not fancy having my head burnt to a crisp or thrown in a pit of lava on Muspelheim."

"I'm not his woman," Maisy snapped, "Or anyone's woman. And I want to know why you two are talking about my ex boyfriend as if he was some intergalactic criminal or something!"

Thor and Loki looked at each other.

"Because he is."

 **A note from the author: Thank you for reading. I apologize for the cliffhanger, hopefully you will not be hanging for too long as I hash out the next bit of the story. I am in shock over the number of follows and favorites this story has received and I am grateful. Thank you.**


	13. Chapter 13

Before any explaining could be done and Maisy could figure out why the two princes were claiming that her ex boyfriend was a criminal Odin opened the door and joined in the confusion by claiming it was time for Maisy and Loki to go out into the public. Then Thor wanted to know why they were going out in public, but Odin didn't say a word so Loki and Maisy did their best to guess why they were doing it and explained it to him.

"Because Odin wants us to look like a couple," Loki said.

"And be seen in public."

"And then people will think-"

"Then they'll think that Loki isn't a horrible evil dude," Maisy offered.

"Yes, and that I am being redeemed by a woman."

"Who is changing him for the better."

"And if all goes well I shall be a prince again. Hooray."

"And… yeah. That pretty much covers it."

Thor looked more confused, but didn't say anything about it. Instead he turned to his father.

"Can this perhaps wait for another time?" He asked, "We have just uncovered some unsettling news which we need to explain to Maisy-"

"No, it can't wait. Market is in full swing now and the more people that see them together the better," Odin turned to Maisy with a look of disgust, "We shall see how the people like you."

Maisy swallowed nervously. She was now convinced that if the people didn't absolutely adore her that Odin would undo his healing and she'd be dead before she even got to hear why Thor and Loki freaked out about Egil. Then he'd probably find another blonde, Asgardian girl to fill her position of redeemer. Maybe someone that Loki would actually like.

She winced as Odin closed the door behind him, with instructions to make themselves presentable and to meet him in his study in fifteen minutes. Thor left too, telling them that they ought to all eat dinner together that evening so things could be explained and figured out. With the crown prince and king gone, there was no one to act as a buffer between Loki and Maisy and she wondered if they'd get in another argument right away.

"How was the library?" He asked as he went to the wardrobe and pulled out some green and black clothes. Maisy wondered if he ever wore any other colors. She had a fleeting thought that blue might look good on him.

"Fine. Linn showed me the comfy couch upstairs - uh, Linn is the girl who you sent with the blanket."

"I know her name," He nodded, "She is an interesting creature."

"She's sweet. She told me a bit about her life. Sounds kind of like mine, but way more exciting."

"How so?"

"Well, she's lived on about a billion planets for one thing-"

"I mean, how is her life similar to yours?"

"Oh," Maisy realized she hadn't really told him anything about herself. Thor knew more about her family life than Loki did, "Just that her mom left her and she kind of has to look out for her dad - all of her wages go toward paying off his debts I guess."

"From what Thor says it seems your father is perfectly capable of looking after himself."

"True, but someone has to tell him to stop drinking now and then," Maisy shrugged and then rolled her eyes, "I can't believe Thor told him I got married! If I ever do go home I'm _so_ dead. My dad will probably lock me in the house until I'm fifty."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you are old enough to technically have custody of yourself."

"Yeah," She went over to the wardrobe when he moved out of the way and started rifling through the clothes again, "That's part of why I liked living in New York so much. Far away from dear old Dad."

"Why are you going through my clothing?"

"Because I don't have any clothes of my own yet," She blushed and backed away from the wardrobe empty handed, "But I can keep wearing these same ones. It's fine."

"Linn dropped this by last night," He handed her a box and when she took off the lid her eyes widened, "Whoa! This is gorgeous!"

She pulled the first dress out, it was simpler and seemed like something she could wear to market. It was also maroon colored, which she'd thought she'd heard Thor tell Veru not to make it.

"Blast, my spell must have worn off," Loki waved his hand over the dress and it turned to forest green, "It wouldn't be unlike that hag to make the fabric resilient to magical interference."

"I don't really care what color it is," Maisy shrugged and held the dress up to herself as it slowly faded back to red, "I think it's pretty either way."

"After our talk last night you won't want to hear this," Loki said, trying to turn the fabric green again, "But colors can be quite important here. Red is Thor's color."

"And green is yours?" She asked, eyes narrowed.

"Red is the color of war and strength. Green is the color of magic and ingenuity," He tried once more to sway the stubborn fabric, and in a great flash of light the dress changed and seemed determined to stay the new, unwanted color.

"Well, uh, what's brown the color of? Because it looks like that's what we're stuck with."

Loki looked like he wanted to threaten the dress or kill it. Maisy still thought it looked pretty so she went into the bathroom and changed into it. She was delighted to find that it was comfortable too. She looked into the mirror and decided to do a half-do with her hair to make it look nice with her new dress.

Satisfied with the look, she exited the bathroom. Loki was dressed in the outfit he'd picked out and so they both made their way reluctantly and bravely to meet Odin and to face the world.

"If you are to stay then the people had best love us together. More specifically, you have to convince them that you are a truly, truly wonderful person - someone they would be glad to have their daughters look up to."

"No pressure, right?" Maisy snorted, "I told you I was bad at acting, right? Did I mention how horribly awful I am at acting?"

"I've not known you long," He said as they approached Odin's door, "But you seem like a kind person. Be yourself, just a little better."

"What exactly are these people looking for in someone who would potentially marry you?" She glanced at him nervously. She didn't like talking about marriage with him. It made her blush and it made her stomach clench, but she supposed that if the people liked her then Odin would eventually let everyone know the exact kind of relationship she had with Loki and so she wanted to know what the people were expecting.

"For one thing, they will not be pleased that you are Midgardian. Thor is in love with a Midgardian. Assuming that the citizens of Asgard still view me as a prince, they are not going to want to hear that both princes of the royal family have fallen for women of such a weak realm - no offense."

"None taken, I guess."

"So, you'll have to convince them that even a Midgardian can be princess material."

"Princess? What?"

"Maisy," Loki stopped outside of Odin's door and stared down at her, "If Odin returns me to my station then I'll be a prince again. That will make you a…"

"Oh crap," She paled, "I didn't think about that. Oh crap, I think I'm having my very own Mia Thermopolis moment here."

"Who?"

"Nevermind," She grabbed his arm without thinking, "Man, I can't be a princess! I don't know how to princess!"

"I doubt it's hard," He shrugged, "It isn't as if you will be queen or anything."

"Right, right! Odin wouldn't ever let you be king, even if Thor died or something. And whoever Thor marries is going to be the one who has to worry about being queen - not me! You're right! I'm sure the princess thing will be a breeze!"

"Although, if all goes according to plan…"

"What? What's that supposed to mean?! Are you planning something?"

"Loki is always planning something," Odin said, opening the door and ushering them into his study. Maisy blushed and wondered how much the king had heard, "If you intend to be his wife very long you ought to know that."

"So what did you want to see us about?" Loki snapped, "Going into town isn't an overly difficult task, you shouldn't have to give us a pep talk."

"I called you here to ensure you are aware of the rules."

"There are always so many rules for us, aren't there? It is almost as if you don't want our marriage to last!" Loki seemed to be pushing it and Maisy hoped he'd calm his sass before Odin took it out on _her_.

"The first rule: no magic," Odin picked up a chain from his desk and looped it around Loki's neck before anyone could object.

"Let me guess, only you can take this off?" Loki tried lifting the chain above his head and found that it had constricted to be too small to go above his chin.

"Rule two: no rings. I will not have gossip among the people about the nature of your relationship. You will act as good friends and nothing more. Hand over your wedding bands."

Maisy did so without argument, though her finger felt empty without it and she almost found herself missing the weight. Loki didn't take his off so Maisy elbowed him. He removed it but didn't hand over the jewelry.

"And how do I know that we shall get these back?" He asked, staring Odin down with a glare that made Maisy shudder, "For all I know you could claim that since we do not have our rings we are not officially wed. You might undo your healing and leave Maisy in a pool of blood in the village and there would be no one with the ability there to save her again."

Maisy hadn't considered that and now she wished she had her ring back.

"You have my word as your father-"

"No."

"Loki!" Maisy hissed, shocked that he had the nerve to so rudely interrupt the guy who held her life in his hands.

"No, after certain revelations I don't think I can trust your word as my father," His voice was cold and the words he spoke were laced with some poison that Maisy didn't understand, but Odin clearly didn't want to mess with.

"Then what would you have me swear on?" The king demanded.

"I would not have you swear on anything. I want collateral."

"Such as?"

"Give me _your_ ring and I shall return it to you the moment you provide the same courtesy."

"Very well," Odin slipped an engraved ring off of his finger and handed it over, "Lose it and you'll both spend the rest of your days in the dungeon and not even Thor can convince me to spare you that fate."

"Deal. Any other rules before we head out?"

"It is not a rule, but you ought to know that guards will be following in disguise and that you shall have a chaperone to assure that neither of you steps out of line."

"And who shall this chaperone be? Thor?"

Maisy fully expected Odin to say that, yes, Thor would be the one escorting them. She had no problem with that. She liked Thor and he was nice to her. The only thing about him that she was unsure of was how much trust he put in his brother. But other than that, Thor would be fun to spend the day with.

"Fandral."

Loki clenched his jaw at this, clearly irritated, but he nodded and left the room when Odin dismissed them. Maisy yelped when, the moment they stepped outside of the study, a blond and handsome man grabbed her hand and kissed it. She pulled away from him quickly and glared.

"Hello milady, I am Fandral one of the Warriors Three, close companion to the prince, and your chaperone for the day," He grinned shrewdly.

"Hi," She said shortly, "I'm Maisy."

"How much has Odin told you?" Loki questioned.

"He didn't have to tell me anything," Fandral leaned lazily against a column, "I was in the meeting when Thor rushed in carrying this lovely lady. I saw all of what happened, and can I just say-"

"I'd prefer you didn't."

"- that it was a proud moment for us. Hogun, Volstagg, Sif - we were all proud to see you coming back to the heroic prince we used to fight side by side with."

"Can we skip the heart to heart and get to the marketplace?"

"As you wish."

 **A note from the author: Many, many thank yous to those who read. More thank yous to those who followed. A truck load of thank yous to the angels who favorited. And may it rain thank yous on bustercleel, Mystic Vampyre, and the Guest reviewer. 3**


	14. Chapter 14

In town Maisy was too distracted by all of the new and unusual sights that she was seeing to remember that she was supposed to be acting like a princess. She gawked at everything and her two Asgardian companions watched her in amusement, quietly talking about her while she asked various vendors about their wares. Or at least, Fandral was trying to talk about her.

"How is the married life, then?" The warrior smirked, "Any regrets?"

"Are you asking me if I regret saving a dying woman's life?"

"No, no, but are you irritated that you've been tied down? Especially to a Midgardian?"

"Let's be honest, Fandral," Loki crossed his arms and raised a brow, "No Asgardian woman was ever going to marry me after what I did. It isn't as if I've ruined any chance at future romance that I might have had."

"True, but Odin might have tried to arrange a political match for you. Strengthen our ties with another realm."

"What realm would have me?" Loki sneered cruelly, " _Jotunheim_?"

He followed after Maisy and saw an elderly Asgardian couple staring at the girl curiously so he caught up her hand in his and conjured a rose for her with a charming grin. The couple seemed more intrigued by this and began whispering with the vendor of the stall they were visiting.

"What's this for?" Maisy asked.

"People are watching us. I thought I'd put on a show for them."

"Well thanks, it's a pretty flower - I've never seen this kind of rose before. The petals are shaped so weirdly! It's so cool!"

"It's fairly common in Asgard," He realized that they were still holding hands, but he decided that it would be more convincing if they stayed that way, so they stayed connected as they walked from booth to booth. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling.

"So whose this Fandral guy?"

"A friend of Thor's."

"I think I remember Thor saying something about Warriors Three or something like that when we were talking yesterday. I couldn't keep all the names straight though."

"Yes, the Warriors Three. I don't know why they don't change it to the Warriors Four, as Sif is very nearly one of them and only excluded because she became a warrior later than they did," Loki commented, "A few years ago they could have just called the group 'Thor's Sidekicks' and thrown me in the group as well."

"You were friends with them?"

"Friends is a strong word, I was a part of the group, and I felt like I was their friend, but I've come to realize the only one who cared if I was there or not was Thor."

"You know," Maisy stopped staring at the scenery and looked at him with her big brown eyes, "You're pretty lucky to have a brother like Thor. I might be biased since he saved me from an earworm-"

"Lindworm."

"A lindworm, but I think he's a really thoughtful and selfless guy."

"Well, he is now anyway," Loki snorted, "Ah! Look at that! I didn't know Idunn's Apples were in season yet!"

"Is there something special about them?"

"Not the apples themselves, but the woman who sells them..."

"Good morning, prince," A tall woman rose from behind the stall and smiled vibrantly at them. Her hair was as golden as the apples she sold and her eyes matched, "And goodmorning to the prince's friend."

"Goodmorning," Maisy said shyly.

"I was just telling my companion about your apples, Idunn. Care to explain why people come from every realm to get a bite of them?"

"There is a rumor floating about the cosmos," Idunn whispered to Maisy, "That my apples will make you live as long as an Asgardian and then some. I grow them from a sacred tree that grants immortality."

"Really? Is that true?"

"That's just what this beautiful liar would have you think," Fandral popped in and grabbed one of the apples, "Right?"

"Not all of the apples have the ability that they are rumored to," Idunn admitted, "But they are good for your health - better than even normal apples."

"And, if you have a worthy cause and are willing to trade your secrets then Idunn will gladly give you one of her more special apples, that can cure any ailment, heal any wound, and make you live longer than anyone has the right to."

"Really?" Maisy was in awe, "That's incredible!"

"I know," Idunn smiled, "But seeing as the apples of near immortality are _not_ in season, would you care for these instead? I am having a bargain - a bag of apples for the price of a wish."

"What does that mean?"

"Idunn does not accept the usual forms of payment," Loki commented, picking over the apples. They were all perfect, "If you want apples from her then you must tell her what you wish more than anything."

"I recall, when you were a young boy," Idunn laughed, "You told me of your wish to have blond hair like your brother and mother."

"And you gave me more apples than I could ever eat so I fed them to the horses."

"We'll take a bag," Maisy grinned, obviously enthused by the odd form of payment.

"Then, friend of the prince," Idunn began to bag up some apples, "Tell me what you wish."

"This isn't like with a genie or anything, right? I don't have to be super specific in my wording?"

"I have no power to grant wishes, I just like to hear them. You may speak freely."

Maisy considered for a moment, though Loki thought it would have been obvious what to say. He'd assumed she'd blurt out that she wished she would have never been attacked by the lindworm and that she'd never come to Asgard. That was not what she said.

"I wish that Odin would have a heart and be a little bit more understanding instead of trying to get rid of me at every turn."

They walked away with a full bag of apples, which Maisy swung carelessly as she continued to admire the market and the people there. Fandral continued to try and pry into what feelings Loki and Maisy had toward each other, but neither relinquished much information. When they'd seen all they could see at the market and vendors were beginning to close their stalls the trio turned around and began the long walk back to the palace.

The walk back was relatively uneventful, with Fandral making remarks about beauty all around him in a woman or in the scenery. Maisy was quiet, munching an apple as they walked and seeming to enjoy the quiet buzz as the market shut down for the day. They'd spent so much time just strolling through the place that it was now close to sunset.

And Loki and Thor still hadn't gotten the chance to explain Maisy's ex boyfriend to her and why exactly they'd freaked out. They'd have to do it when they got back to the palace and ditched Fandral. Not that the swordsman couldn't be trusted, but Loki didn't trust him. Thor might have only the highest praise for him, but Loki had witnessed suspicious behavior from the warrior on more than one occasion - not to mention the fact that Fandral knew some magic. Not on any level to cause much concern, but the fact that Fandral could use sorcery put Loki on edge.

Regardless, they wouldn't be in the man's company for much longer and then Loki and Maisy could meet Thor for dinner and get the whole business of Egil Belison sorted out.

"Well," Fandral smiled as they walked into the palace, "I suppose this is where we part ways. I am off to the training arena and you two had best go talk to the king."

"Thank you," Loki nodded, knowing that being polite would expedite Fandral's exit.

"Yeah," Maisy agreed, "Thanks for being out chaperone or whatever. It was nice to meet you."

"Anytime, milady," Fandral gave her hand one more kiss while Loki rolled his eyes, and then he was off.

"I wish he wouldn't do that," Maisy scowled, wiping her hand off on her skirt, much to Loki's amusement, "It's weird."

"Not for him it isn't. He's always been a charmer and a flatterer."

"I'm surprised you didn't freak out about it," She grumbled as they walked in the direction of Odin's study.

"Why?"

"If he did that around my ex, Egil would have gone nuts, like I said, he was crazy possessive at times."

"Despite last night's comparison," Loki said, "I am nothing like Egil Belison. Besides, I know when Fandral is only fooling around. He isn't stupid enough to seriously flirt with a married woman."

"How can you know that you aren't anything like Egil?" Maisy demanded, "You and Thor never explained how you knew him."

"Remember that we are meeting Thor for dinner. He has had more experience with this particular criminal so I think I'll allow him to explain. In the meantime, I'd like to get our rings back from Odin and put this whole marketplace adventure to rest."

When they got to the study Odin opened the door before they'd even knocked and ushered them inside.

"From what the guards told me," The king started, going to the seat at his desk and flipping through documents, "You two did an excellent job of holding hands and smiling at one another."

"I wouldn't say that…" Maisy was bright red.

"And if I were you I would not say anything to discredit myself because you have not yet heard what I am going to say next," Odin snapped, "The observers say that while you did a marvelous job of endearing yourselves to one another, you did nothing to endear yourselves to the people of Asgard."

Loki noticed Maisy shift closer to him and farther away from Odin. He supposed that she wanted someone to catch her if Odin undid her healing and she collapsed. Not that Loki actually suspected Odin would do such a thing. He may have implied to others that a violent death would be Maisy's fate if she fouled up their arrangement, but he knew Odin would never be so cruel to an innocent, at least not while he had witnesses. No, he was clever. Whatever he did to get Maisy out of the picture would make it so that it was entirely her fault. And then, once she was gone from Asgard, or buried so deep in the dungeon that everyone forgot about her, he'd let her die. Whether he simply undid his handiwork if she was back on Midgard or instructed the guards not to feed her if she was in prison, Maisy would die.

Unless they made her more popular with the people.

"She may not have made a scene in the marketplace," Loki said taking out Odin's ring for the tradeoff and flipping it over his fingers like a magician with a coin, "But she did gain Idunn's favor."

Odin looked to the bag of apples that Maisy still clung to and raised a fluffy eyebrow.

"I see."

"And though she did not cause the crowds to cheer her name," He flipped the ring once more, watching Odin's eyes follow it, "She did spend her time in the market chatting with vendors and asking them about their wares, learning more about Asgardian culture."

"Then perhaps my guards were not as observant as they should have been," Odin allowed, taking the two gold bands from a pouch on his belt, "Now that we've seen how she gets along with the public, we must see how she fares with nobility. You will both join us in the feasting hall tonight."

"But we were going to-"

"Don't worry," Loki laid Odin's ring down on the desk, "We've an hour before the feast in which to sort things out with Thor."

Odin placed the two, noticeably smaller, rings on the desk as well, picking up his and putting it back on. From the way he eyed Loki, it was clear that he would check the ring for spells or charms later. Deciding it was only fair to do the same before either of them put the rings back on, Loki stuffed the jewelry in his pocket with a quick grin.

"We shall see you at diner," He gave a bow, which was probably more mocking than it should have been, and offered his arm to Maisy. She took it nervously and they left the study. When they got down the hall a little way she exhaled hugely.

"I didn't think I was going to get out of there alive!"

"Let's find Thor and sort out this business of Egil Belison."

"Great," She let go of his arm, "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Mmm?" He was still thinking about what it meant that Odin was making them come to a banquet. There were so many angles that could be played.

"Why were you so worried about the rings? I know you said something about Odin not recognizing the marriage if we didn't have them, but it seemed like you were, I dunno, scheming or something."

"Observant of you," He put away his current scheming to reflect, "When I first realized that he was actively going to try and get rid of you I put a protection charm on your ring. It won't do much if your wounds open up again, but it should be able to keep you from dying long enough to find a healer."

"Really?" She sounded surprised, "Thank you."

"Don't read too much into it," Loki said, feeling a bit unkind, "I just don't like losing so if Odin decides to end this game I'll have a contingency plan."

"Wow," Miffed, she sounded decidedly miffed about this, "This whole thing is a game to you, huh? Well I'm glad my potential death is so entertaining."

"Oh come now-"

"Hey, if the ring is actually going to safe my life I'd like to have it back now please."

"We shouldn't wear them to diner. Besides, I want to make sure he didn't tamper with them at all. He could have enchanted our rings as easily as I enchanted his."

"What did you do to his?"

"Nothing much. But I doubt he'll enjoy the intense itch that will envelope his entire arm."

"Itching powder? You put itching powder on his ring?"

"An itching spell, actually," Loki smirked and Maisy laughed. He didn't bother to tell her about the other enchantment he'd put on the ring. The real reason he'd made such a fuss over the rings at all was so that he could get his hands on Odin's. While they'd been casually strolling through the market Loki had spelled the ring so that it would attract its mate. Frigga's wedding band. If it had gone to the stars with her then the spell wouldn't have done anything, but given that Loki now had the ancient golden band in his pocket, he'd say Odin was more sentimental than he'd thought and had hung onto it.

 **A note from the author: Thank you for once again reading my story. I am glad you have deemed it entertaining enough to read this far. And my biggest thanks ever to the two guest reviewers. So glad you like it! :D**


	15. Chapter 15

They decided it would be best if they got ready for the banquet before they went to talk to Thor and then they could all three walk to dinner together. So Maisy, with a great amount of struggle, put on the other dress and found she liked it even more than the first. It reminded her of something from _Lord of the Rings_ with it's big flowy sleeves.

"Blast, I forgot it was red," Loki frowned when she exited the bathroom.

"It's fine, just leave it," Maisy didn't think this dress would look very good in brown, "We're just supposed to be friends anyway, right? Wouldn't it look weird for me to wear green?"

"Fine," He snapped, "Let's just talk to Thor."

"Fine."

When they arrived at the door to Thor's chamber, which was not far from Loki's, Maisy knocked on the door and ignored Loki's pouting beside her. She didn't know why he was in a bad mood. They had gotten through the market in one piece and once they were done with dinner they could relax for a little while.

Maybe he was still moody about the color of the dress. It was such a stupid thing to get worked up about. What color people should and shouldn't wear? How dumb. Having majored in art with a focus on fashion, Maisy couldn't imagine being stuck with one color for the rest of her life. And she supposed now she was. She briefly wondered if she'd be wearing dresses like this for the rest of her life and if she'd ever get to experience the comfort of jeans again.

As she stood there, waiting for Thor to open the door, she realized that, while she didn't understand the fixation on one color, she could appreciate that it was important in Asgard. She decided that, if she ever got a chance to choose her clothes again she'd try to incorporate more green. Besides, there were plenty of shades of green, she could make it work.

"Ah! Hello!" Thor greeted, opening the door wide and ushering them in, "I have heard that you will be attending the feast tonight!"

"Yes, Odin wants to see how well the nobility will respond to her."

"From what I've heard, many of them are aware of the details of your relationship, seeing as many of the higher nobles were in attendance when the deal was struck," Thor warned, "At the very least there will be rumors about you two and I do not know how much Odin will allow to be known by everyone."

"He's instructed us to act like friends," Maisy said.

"But that is not what we're here to discuss," Loki butted in, "Tell her what you know of Belison."

"Yes, of course, please have a seat," Thor sat down in a comfortable looking armchair and Maisy followed suit. Loki seemed content to stare out the window dolefully.

"So, this morning you said that Egil was some kind of criminal? Even if he is, how could you have heard of him? He's from earth!"

"That is not actually true," Thor glanced worriedly at his brother, "He is of Jotunheim. Or at least his father, Beli, is. His mother was of Vanaheim as far as we know."

"I'm sorry, I know this must be simple information for you, but I've got no idea where either of those places is."

"Vanaheim is the home of the Vanir, a race with limited prophetic abilities," Thor explained, "And Jotunheim-"

"Jotunheim is the home of the Frost Giants," Loki said harshly.

"Right," Thor looked more apprehensive about that particular topic and Maisy wondered if Asgard and Jotunheim had bad feelings toward one another or if it was something personal.

"So you're saying Egil is half Vanir and half Frost Giant?" Maisy asked incredulously, "How'd he get to earth? And why would he?"

"I do not know his reasons for going there, but I am sure it was under the orders of Surtur," Thor paused after he said this, as if it was hugely important and Maisy should be blown away.

"Sorry, I don't know that name either."

"Honestly, what do they teach you in Midgardian primary school?" Loki asked, unbelieving that someone could have gone their whole life without having heard of the nine realms or of Surtur.

"The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell and I can count to ten in Spanish."

"Surtur," Thor interjected, "Is the ruler of Muspelheim - the realm of fire and destruction."

"So you're saying that Egil works for this fire guy?"

"Yes. When Egil was a boy his father was ordered by… uh… Laufey, the, uh, last king of the Jotuns - Frost Giants - to kill Egil. His mother saw the future of this happening and she decided to intervene by stealing away Egil. He couldn't live on Vanaheim, however, because he'd grown up on Jotunheim and was too violent. So his mother sent him to Muspelheim for reasons unknown to us - I mean, who would send their child to Muspelheim of all places?"

"And Egil was trained by Surtur," Loki continued, "From what I've heard, he broke away from Muspelheim for a few hundred years and was running rampant through the realms, committing whatever foul deeds he wanted."

"Yes, but not to long ago he was caught after taking out three Ravenger ships - by the Ravengers, obviously - and delivered to the Nova Corp. Even they could not hold him for long, so they gave him back to Surtur," Thor got an excited look in his eye, "And no one has heard from him since!"

"And you think that he came to earth and did… what exactly? And I still don't see how you know that this is the same Egil Belison - it's not a common name, sure, but I bet there are other people out there-"

"Describe his appearance," Loki demanded, "Thor attended his trial on Xandar and knows what he looks like."

"This is silly!" Maisy stood up, "It's too big of a coincidence for my ex boyfriend to be from space and then for all of, of _this_ to happen to me too!"

"Unless the lindworm was sent by Belison," Loki commented quietly, "Thor said that it did not seem to want to hurt you when it attacked. Perhaps your boyfriend sent it to retrieve you."

"Oh really?" Maisy didn't like to scoff at people but she couldn't help it, "And why would he do that?"

"You said it yourself, he was possessive."

"But he wouldn't send a dragon thing after me just because I dumped him!"

"Lindworms are native to Muspelheim," Thor pointed out, "Regardless, we would feel better if you described him so we could be sure."

Maisy shook her head. She wasn't going to, she didn't want to live in the past any longer. If Egil was some horrible bad guy then she hoped somebody caught him, but she wasn't going to do anything about it. He was in the past.

"Dark skin," Thor said, "Looks as if he might be native of the Middle East on Midgard. Dark, long hair that he wears pulled back. Red irises. Beard about as long as mine."

Maisy paled and the two brothers looked at each other knowingly.

"So it is him," Loki said softly, "I wonder what in the nine he was doing on Midgard."

"I should go to Muspelheim and find out," Thor stated, "I have sworn to protect Midgard and if Egil Belison has been there then I do not believe it to be safe."

"Odin would never let you go. He and Surtur are sworn enemies," Loki pointed out, "And do not even think of breaking his word again - you know how well that went last time."

"I was young and foolish then."

"It was only four years ago, Thor!"

"I've matured a lot since then, Father will see that and he will understand my need to uncover the truth of Surtur's plans for earth."

"You cannot be exiled again," Loki snapped, "And I am not saying this because I care for your safety. You are the only reason that I am not rotting in the dungeon right now. If you disobey Odin what do you think he'll do to me?"

"You've matured too, brother, he has seen that. You'd be fine."

"And when Odin throws me away again, like the filth he sees me as where do you think she'll end up? Hmm?"

Maisy didn't want to be brought into whatever heated argument this was turning into. It sounded like a family matter and even though she might technically be part of the family, she didn't think she should have any influence in this business.

"She'd be fine-"

" _She'd be dead!_ " Loki spat, there was literally a little blob of spit that flew out of his mouth, " _You'd be banished, I'd be imprisoned, and she'd be…_ " He reigned in his anger with a deep breath and put a gentle hand on Thor's shoulder, "Dead."

"Brother…"

"I didn't stop you back then, but I am now. You are not going to Muspelheim. Whatever Surtur's plan is will make itself known in time, but until then I'd appreciate it if you didn't put our necks on the chopping block alongside yours."

 **A note from the author: Thank you for reading you amazing people, you. I am so delighted to hear that you are enjoying the story! A special thanks to Lwolf, Mystic Vampyre, yellowroseofthenw, and the guest reviewer! Your reviews made me giddy!**


	16. Chapter 16

It took until they got to the feasting hall - in bitter silence - for Loki to realize that Odin had neglected to remove the chain from around his neck that stopped him from using magic. He'd been so focused on the rings that he hadn't gotten the chain removed. The piece made it difficult for him to put the itching and locating charms on the Allfather's ring, but he'd managed with a few spell ingredients that he'd had on him. However, this long without magic was beginning to irritate him.

It was like when a limb went fell asleep. He knew it was still there, and he could almost feel it, but there was something fuzzy preventing him from using it properly. Apart from that discomfort he also disliked the fact that he had only his brute strength to protect him if the need arose - though it shouldn't. His strength was not something he liked to rely on in Asgard. On Midgard, sure, they had the physical power of insects compared to him, but in Asgard he was fairly average.

Right before they went into the hall to face all of the nobles that would likely ask him all sorts of uncomfortable questions about his rehabilitation, Maisy grabbed his arm and stopped him. Thor plowed on ahead and was greeted by the nobles and warriors with shouts of excitement. Loki turned to look at the short woman and found her smiling awkwardly.

"This is going to sound like a really weird question," She said.

"What?"

"Do you have a pair of scissors on you?"

"Why?"

"Um, I thought I might cut off a strip of the fabric from your shirt and, um," She blushed, "Listen, I know the whole color thing was bothering you and I thought I could tie a piece of green fabric around my arm. You know, to show what team I'm on or whatever."

That surprised him and he raised an eyebrow at her request.

"I mean, I get it if you don't want to ruin a nice shirt," She tried laughing it off, "I just thought-"

"You're right, why ruin a shirt?" He pulled a green silk scarf out of his pocket and held it out to her with a smile.

"Oh hey! This works much better, thanks!"

"May I?"

"Be my guest," She held out her arm and he carefully tied the piece of fabric around her bicep and she giggled, "I'm Christmas colors!"

With that, they entered the hall, which fell to a shocked silence when Loki showed his face. He linked his arm with Maisy's, the green scarf brushing the green of his jacket, and with a deep breath they moved in.

 **A note from the author: Sorry this one is so short! Thank you for reading! Thank you for favoriting and following! And thank you most of all to Lwof, Mystic Vampyre, and the guest reviewer! I love you to bits!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A note from the author: I realized that in the last chapter I wrote that Loki doesn't have his magic and then five seconds later I made him conjure a scarf. Whoops. I've attempted to change it, but I don't know how quickly the chapter will be updated. So, we'll just say that he got the scarf from his pocket because who doesn't just carry around green scarves in their pockets for emergency fashion situations, right? Anyway... enjoy this chapter.**

"Norns!" One of the maids, Ola, moaned, "Look at those gorgeous dresses!"

Linn did look, she'd washed many of the dresses before, but she never got tired of seeing them. She was glad her friend (who was one of the maids on standby to clean up messes made by nobles tonight) had invited her to come watch the banquet from behind a curtain. It was a spot set aside for servants to hide until they were needed and it had been used for many things from an ideal make-out space (as long as you didn't move the curtain) to a hiding spot of an assassin.

"Oh!" Linn whispered, peeking through the fabric just as Loki and Maisy entered, "That's Maisy Sichore!"

"Who?"

"She's Loki's girlfriend or something and she's real nice. I delivered that dress last night, I did, but I fought Loki changed it green."

"The prince looks happy with her," Ola commented, "The rest of the nobles do not."

"Prolly cause she's a Midgardian."

"Really? How in the nine realms did they meet? When he did whatever horrible thing he did on Midgard did it involve her?"

"I dunno. I bet you're right."

Linn sighed happily and watched the couple sit down at the end of the table. Far, far away from the head where Odin kept a wary eye. Thor was sitting near his father, of course, and he looked to be having a good time laughing with the Warriors Three and Lady Sif. Oh! Lady Sif looked stunning in her own red dress. The silver on it, representing armor, caught the glow from the torchlight and made her seem to glow as well.

Both of the serving girls glanced sadly at the seat next to Odin where Queen Frigga used to sit in all of her regal glory. Her presence was sorely missed, even now a year after her passing. Though Linn had only seen her a few times, she knew she was a beautiful person, inside and out and that made her doubly sad that the queen was gone.

"That's my cue," Ola groaned as Volstagg slammed a ceramic tankard onto the ground, declaring he'd like another, "I'll be right back."

Linn watched her friend go, content to sit back and watch until she felt the queerest sensation that she really ought to be out there, serving mead. Partly against her will, because though she really wanted to go she knew she shouldn't, she grabbed some mead from another servant and made a beeline for Maisy's cup.

"Mead, ma'am?" Linn asked, not sure why.

"Uh," Maisy jumped in her seat, "Oh hi Linn!"

"Hullo hullo!" Linn smiled.

"I thought you worked in the laundry room?" Loki looked at her skeptically and for some reason Linn thought that she'd better come up with an excuse, even though she couldn't see the harm in telling him the truth. It's not like nobility cared one way or the other who served them as long as they were being served.

"I do, normally," She said, "But they were short staffed today and I could use the extra hours of work. Would either of you like some mead?"

"No," Loki dismissed, still looking suspicious, "Are you certain there is nothing wrong with you?"

"Hey," Maisy chided, "Don't be rude. She's just trying to be helpful."

The urge to serve them drinks faded and Linn found that the ready supply of lies that she had disappeared. Feeling acutely uncomfortable and noticing that several people had turned to look at her in her laundress' garb, Linn tried to smile like nothing had happened.

"Fine. I'm fine. Buh-bye," She tried not to run, but it was definitely too brisk of a pace to be walking at in the crowded hall and she crashed into another servant carrying a tray and mead and food flew everywhere.

Embarrassed beyond belief and still not even sure why she'd done what she had, Linn dropped the pitcher and ran from the room before anyone important could see her and box her ears. She didn't stop running until she was in her room, where she changed out of her soggy, smelly dress and into her casual attire. She'd have to get her dress in the wash right away if she wanted to get the smell of mead and the stains of the food out of it.

"What was I finking?" She moaned, carrying her sodden dress to the laundry room and scrubbing the tougher stains, "They're gonna sack me for sure!"

She scrubbed until the stains were out and then she threw the dress into the soak tub to get the smell out. Then she sat down on a stool and buried her face in her hands. Normally she didn't get embarrassed easily. When she did something wrong she accepted the result of her actions and tried to learn from it. What she'd just done, however, was something weird.

"It was like I couldn't stop," She muttered, "Like I had to see what Maisy was doing."

"What are you saying?" Madame Veru hobbled into the laundry room and thumped Linn's back with her cane, "Talking to yourself is not a good habit to get into."

"Sorry," Linn said, on the verge of tears, "I wasn't meaning to disturb ya."

"Is Thor's friend wearing her dress tonight?"

"Yes, but she isn't Thor's friend. She's Loki's girlfriend. That's why Thor wanted it to be green."

"Bah!" Madame Veru stomped her cane, "That's nonsense. She looks much better in red, I'm sure. I will continue to make her clothing red."

"That's dumb," Linn crossed her arms, momentarily forgetting her mishap, "Maisy probably is embarrassed in the red. People will fink fings!"

"People will do that no matter how hard you try to stop them," Veru sat on another stool, "I am the best seamstress in all nine realms, living or dead. I will not be told how to do my craft."

There was another peculiar sensation in Linn's head and she had a sudden thought that Maisy shouldn't wear red or green. Neither was becoming of her. But the thought was gone just as quickly as it came.

"How do you have any clients left?" Linn asked, but was bopped on the head with the cane, "Sorry."

"Nyeh."

Linn ignored her and got her dress out of the soak to hang it to dry. She had never liked the old woman and the old woman was so aloof that she didn't like anyone else so there was no sense in arguing with her because Veru didn't listen to anyone.

"Goodnight, Madame," Linn nodded and left the room, wanting to be alone for a while so she could process what she did in the banquet hall and maybe pack up her things for when they inevitably fired her. She just wished that whatever had come over her had never come over her.


	18. Chapter 18

"And you're really from Midgard?"

"Yes," Maisy answered for the thousandth time that evening. She'd thought she'd only have to deal with whoever sat to the right of her, seeing as Loki was on the left, however, people from all around the large table yelled questions at her all through the meal and she'd scarcely had a chance to eat. And as soon as Linn had come and gone in a great rush Loki had disappeared, presumably to check up on the girl. Maisy wished she could have followed, but Loki had said she at least needed to stay to get the people to like her more.

"You seem so polite for a Midgardian!" The current interrogator was a lady a decade or so older in appearance than Maisy, who was sitting directly across from her.

"Um, thank you?"

"Do people on Midgard really throw waste into the ocean and cut down rainforests?"

"Not everyone-"

"How barbaric! You must be immensely glad to have been taken away from a dying planet like that."

Maisy wasn't sure how many of the events that lead to her being in Asgard she was allowed to reveal to this woman or any of the nobles so she only smiled politely and nodded. She attempted to take another bite of her food, but the older man on the left gently put his hand over hers in the way that seemed almost consoling.

"My dear," He smiled at her and did not release her hand, "Might I inquire about your peculiar garb?"

Maisy thought her face would crack in half from all of the false smiles she was giving that evening. She took a breath to come up with some sort of answer, though she didn't yet know what that would be. Before any words escaped her mouth she was cut off.

"She clearly doesn't know our styles yet," The lady across said, "Give her some time and she will have herself figured out."

"Actually," Maisy said, more harshly than she meant to, "Actually, there was simply a mixup with my clothes. I was given a red dress by mistake."

"It is not the dress that we were talking about, dear, red suits you" The man chuckled, "It is your ridiculous scarf tied about your arm."

"Not only does the color not go with the rest of your ensemble-"

"Well, I don't care about that. I happen to very much like the color green," Maisy's hand tugged out from under the man's and went to the scarf immediately, unconsciously checking to make sure it was still there.

"Be that as it may, you simply should not have worn it."

"Why not?"

"Because it is _green_."

Maisy's patience had run out.

"Yes, it is. And green happens to be Loki's color and he and I happen to be good friends," She said it too loudly, Odin may not have heard exactly what she said, but his eye was on her now and that made her more than a little uncomfortable.

"Rumor has it you two are a little more than friends," The man next to Maisy said shrewdly. She forced another smile and turned away from him, shoving a big piece of meat into her mouth. The man and the lady seemed to take the hint and stopped talking to her.

As she chewed, Maisy looked across the table to Thor, who was too busy laughing with his friends to notice that she was in need of an escape plan. She hoped Loki would get back soon, even if she never felt quite comfortable in his presence. At least he always seemed to know how to answer people who were being rude. He was rude right back, but in a sneaky way. Maisy didn't think she could pull it off.

Even though her neighbors were no longer talking to her, she found that their conversation was interesting and decided to listen in. They were discussing her home planet, afterall.

"...now they've got enhanced individuals coming out of the woodwork!"

"Still, I don't think that makes them a match for the more advanced races in the realms, do you?"

"Hardly. They've got no organization and from the sounds of things the average human does not approve of the enhanced ones. They _dissect_ each other in the name of science!"

"Like I said: Midgardians are barbarians."

"Best watch what you say," Loki said, sliding into his seat, "Your prince is in love with one of those barbarians."

"It would appear both princes are," The snobby lady scoffed, nibbling on a slice of some weird orange fruit or vegetable.

"How observant of you," Loki had that look in his eye, the one he'd had when he bargained with Odin earlier.

Maisy squirmed and decided to deal with this problem by taking a bite of the desert that was just brought to her. She didn't know what it was, but it was sweet and it kept her from having to talk. Or acknowledge Loki's words. She supposed she'd have to deal with worse than him agreeing that he was in love with her eventually, though it made her anxious to hear anyone say it. It made her even more anxious to think about when the time came and she'd have to say similar things herself. She could only hope that she and Loki could at least get along better than they had last night or else she was going to need some acting lessons.

"So, do tell us, Loki," The man said, "How is it that you are back to dining at the king's own table when for the past year you have been mysteriously absent?"

"And the year before that you were in the dungeon!" The lady's enormous eyes shone with excitement.

"Odin is a forgiving king," Loki smiled, "And I a repentant… son."

"And of course we all know that that is the true reason behind it, don't we?" The lady said, tapping her long nails on the table in a way that made Maisy shiver, "Because if anyone else attempted to destroy an entire race they'd be executed, but not Odin's precious son."

"He wasn't trying to kill all of us," Maisy piped up, "If I understand correctly, he was just trying to take over. To rule. He can't rule a bunch of dead people, right?"

"I wasn't talking of the many deaths he caused on Midgard," said the lady, "Your prince is a repeat offender when it comes to genocide."

"What?" Maisy turned at looked at him, but he didn't seem at all embarrassed or ashamed to have this information revealed. He didn't even make eye contact with Maisy, but smiled at the woman.

"You make it sound like killing Frost Giants is a bad thing," He smirked, "Don't tell me you aren't glad that there are a few less in the universe."

"Yes, but you went about it the wrong way," The man to Maisy's right piped up, "It was-"

"Not what Thor would have done and therefore incorrect," Loki's smile got bigger, "What I did spared us the trouble of full out war and saved us thousands of lives, but because it was not a show of brute force or as _honorable_ as charging in with blades swinging it was morally wrong. It is only too bad that Odin saw fit to keep the monsters alive."

"Ms. Sichore," The lady said, "What do you think of what Loki attempted during his time as regent?"

Maisy had an inkling of what happened, but she hadn't pieced the whole story together yet. She glanced at Loki and he seemed interested in her answer too. She muttered a great many "uhs" while stirring her desert around. From what she could gather, Loki had tried to kill a great many Frost Giants or Jotuns or whatever they were but Odin stopped him before he could get too far. From what Thor and Loki had said earlier the Frost Giants didn't seem very nice, but they could just be generalizing or stereotyping or something.

"Uh," She cleared her throat, "Personally I don't think anyone should kill anyone unless they absolutely have to…"

"How naive."

"It amazes me that you could befriend Loki if that is your philosophy. He is a sneaky, lying fellow with no moral code and-"

"What is today? Pick on Loki day?" Maisy snapped, feeling terrible for being rude, but also mad at these two posh weirdos and not feeling particularly apologetic, "Everyone does bad things, look at yourself for instance, you are ridiculously rude and offensive toward my culture and home world. If I can put up with sitting next to _you_ and all of your flaws - both of you - then I don't see why you two can't shut up about Loki."

The lady snorted indignantly and the man huffed.

"Offensive?" The woman balked, "I am no such thing. You are simply too sensitive. Midgardians must be like that."

"We only wished to help you, child," The man sniffed, "To warn you not to get too close to someone of questionable conduct."

"Well it's a bit too late for that, thanks all the same!" Maisy growled at the man, gripping her fork with one hand and her green scarf with the other, "Because regardless of what he's done," _Or what I think of the matter_ , "I like him very much and I am proud to be his friend."

"Calm down before you attract Odin's attention," Loki whispered in her ear. Maisy had gone to all of this trouble to try and convince these jerks that she and Loki were friends and he didn't even appreciate it. If she hadn't been afraid that Odin was going to kill her Maisy would have stormed out of the room right then and there.

As it was, she simply stuffed her face with another bite of food and continued to do so until her desert was gone, her face was red with building anger, and the feast was coming to a close. When Odin finally left, signalling the official end to dinner, Loki offered his arm to her once more and she took it, not because she wanted to by any means, but because she'd already done enough damage and she didn't need to spread the rumor that she wasn't actually friends with him.


	19. Chapter 19

When they were back at their room she yanked away from him and stormed over to where her nest used to be. Discovering that her pile of blankets was gone, and not really wanting to sit on the floor like a dope, she went into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.

At first Loki just assumed that his roommate was still mad at the lord and lady who'd been bothering her or that she needed to relieve herself and had slammed the door by accident. However, after half an hour and not a peep from the lavatory, he knocked on the door.

"Are you alright?"

"Leave me alone!"

"You sound like you're crying," He commented, "Did what they say really upset you that much? They were just saying it to bother you, you know. Nobles can be like that. They'll say horrid things to show just how much better they are than everyone else."

"Please just go away!"

"Are you decent in there?"

"Y-yeah… why?"

Loki opened the door and found Maisy sitting on the floor, hastily drying her eyes with the green scarf and scowling at him. She crossed her arms and glared.

"So you are crying," He sighed, unsure of how to handle a weeping woman. It didn't seem like she was exactly weeping either. More like crying out of frustration. Still a mystery to him.

"I think I might spend the night in the library again," She stood up and tried to walk past him, but he stepped in her way and put his hands on her shoulders, looking down his nose at her. She writhed under his gaze and he there was something deep inside him that felt absolutely terrible about making her uncomfortable.

"It is too much of a risk," He said, lowering his hands, "After today we must be more careful than ever to abide by the rules. You didn't exactly do a good job of attracting supporters tonight and that means you haven't done anything to win over Odin."

"Okay, I'm sorry," She tried again to get past him.

"Why are you so upset over a few jibing words from those puffed up peacocks? They aren't worth your tears."

"You know," She sniffled and looked him in the eye, standing up straighter, "It wasn't them who made me cry."

"Then what?"

"I haven't cried once all this past week, you know that?" She said.

"Good for you?"

"I've felt like it every single day! Every single time that I remember that I'd probably going to be stuck here for the rest of my life, every time that I remember that I'm married, every time that I remember Odin could kill me at any second, every time you look at me like I'm catbarf that you have been forced to clean up. I have wanted to cry so many times this week, but I've kept it together because I didn't want to cry in front of a stranger and I never knew when you'd walk through the door."

"Catbarf, hmm?"

"So part of it is because of that building up to a breaking point," She took a deep, shuddering breath, "And part of it is because I defended you to those mean people - I even meant some of what I said - and you basically told me to shut up!"

"I only wished to warn you that Odin wouldn't take kindly to any outburst on your part."

"Fine. I won't defend you again. I thought I was doing a good job selling the act of our friendship. I won't try that again."

"While I am grateful for the attempt on your part, I think that a better approach could have been taken."

"Like what?" She crossed her arms.

"You could have continued to explain that you do not approve of my actions, but you know that I've changed or you know I can change."

"Why?"

"Because every word we say must move us toward my eventual redemption. We must speak carefully at all times," He saw that she was still mad at him so he tried to smile at her, "But, for having failed your acting class you did well. I am sorry I did not acknowledge it earlier, will you forgive me?"

"Yes," She said, looking down at her feet, "I'm sorry I made such a big deal about it."

"Like you said, it was the culmination of many things that caused your tears."

He felt like he should say something else, but couldn't think of what so he went back out into the main room and sat down at the table. He took the rings out of his pocket and began examining them, still bothered by the fact that his own magic was out of reach. Maisy eventually came out of the bathroom, having changed back into the baggy black clothing. She sat down and watched him work.

"You know, two dresses isn't going to cut it," She said quietly, "And as comfy as these clothes are, I'm tired of having to hike the pants up all the time."

"I'm sure that Madame Veru will gift you with another few red dresses tomorrow and Linn took your Midgardian clothes to be mended and cleaned."

"I really wish that I had been able to convince her to give me a needle and thread. Or whatever it is she uses," She looked away toward the window, "I feel bad about yanking down the curtains, but I thought I could get tools and then make myself some clothes."

"I return to working in the laundry room tomorrow. Shall I see if I can smuggle out a few items?"

"Really? That'd be great!" She smiled, but frowned just as quickly, "But isn't that breaking your probation?"

"Yes, but-"

"No way. You said we have to be super careful. I'm not going to have you get in trouble just so I won't be bored."

He didn't say anything, but rolled his eyes. Examining the rings again, he finally found a single spell on them, but it wouldn't be much of a problem for the time being and it wouldn't harm either of them.

"Here," He handed her the smaller ring.

"Oh, uh, thanks. Was there anything wrong with them?"

"Nothing that will cause problems right now. He put a tracking spell on them both. Probably to keep an eye on us and make sure we don't go anywhere outside of our limits without his permission."

"Like an ankle monitor."

"What?"

"Oh, on earth when you're on probation or out on bail or whatever you wear a monitor around your ankle that tracks where you go. At least, on TV they do."

"Then yes, it's like that."

"Except we can take these off whenever we want."

"True, but we shouldn't. They might come in handy if Egil Belison sends another lindworm to carry you away."

"You're still going on about that, huh?" She put her ring back on, "I may have broken up with him, but I don't believe that he was a criminal."

"Thor described him and you knew it to be him," Loki pointed out, putting his own ring back on his finger, "I only wonder why you were so important to him. He surely would not have entered your life and tried to reclaim you if you weren't a part of the plan."

"He didn't send the lindworm! And you don't have to wonder why," She frowned, "He didn't have some master plan. We met at the library during finals week and bonded over crazy professors. Then I asked him out and we started dating."

"You asked him?"

"Yeah," She lifted her chin haughtily, "It's the twenty-first century, pal, there is nothing wrong with a woman asking out a man."

"It's not that," Loki chuckled, "I simply wonder how he got you to do it or why he didn't just ask you out himself. It would have made things much simpler."

"Oh my gosh," She groaned, "Maybe he just liked me and didn't want to use me for some crime. Am I such an unlikable person that you doubt anyone would date me without ulterior motives?"

"I am just preparing you for the possibility that he never cared about you."

"Well, I'll never know one way or the other because I'll likely never see him again, so it doesn't really matter."

"If Thor has his way Egil will be brought here in chains and questioned until it can be discovered what he was up to on Midgard, but he is a slippery one so you are probably right."

They sat in silence a while longer, neither one sure if they should come up with some good natured conversation or if they should breach the topic of their argument the previous night. Loki seemed keen to ignore it, but Maisy, as embarrassed as she was about it, also felt proud for standing up for herself and she wanted to make sure her words stuck.

"Hey, about last night-" She began at the same time Loki started to talk.

"About Linn - oh, sorry, you first."

"No, no!" Maisy dropped the matter, "How was Linn? Was she alright?"

"She was embarrassed," Loki answered, "When I found her she was in her room, packing her bag."

"Did they fire her?"

"No, and I told her to stop packing because if the palace fired her then I said I'd hire her on to do something. I don't know what."

"That was kind of you."

"Not really," Loki shrugged, "There is something - an air of magic - floating around her that wasn't there yesterday and I think whatever it is caused her to behave so oddly tonight."

"So you offered to keep her on to study her?"

"Yes. Though I suppose if you are to be a lady of the court you'll need a lady's maid at some point. You like Linn, right?"

"A lady's maid? Like in Downton Abbey?" Maisy snickered, though Loki had no idea why, "Yes, I like Linn. She's adorable."

"When I spoke with her tonight she didn't say much, which I found unusual, but she seemed like she wanted to keep her job. And when I worked with her she was one of the best laundresses down there so they may keep her on, but if they don't I'll simply hire her."

Maisy hated doing laundry with a passion, but she was sick of sitting around the room all day and it didn't seem like Madame Veru was going to loan her a needle and thread any time soon, so she decided to make an offer.

"Hey Loki?"

"Yes?"

"How would you feel if I came down to the laundry room with you tomorrow?"

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Then I can be doing something. And Linn and I can hang out and get to know each other a little better. Maybe it will boost her spirits after tonight."

"I am not opposed to it, though I'm sure it will make the nobility gossip."

"Why should they care? And why should I care why they care?"

"Very well, just prepare yourself for the next time you come into contact with them."

"Which will hopefully be later rather than sooner."

"Don't bet on it."

 **A note from the author: Thank you for your continuing support and special thanks to the reviewers, Lwolf and Guest. You are the absolute bomb.**


	20. Chapter 20

"Another letter for you, sire."

Odin nodded to the messenger and took the letter with a scowl. He didn't need to read it to know who it was from, based off of the singe marks all along the envelope. Muspelheim did not handle delicate things well.

When he did read it he grunted irritably and tossed it in his desk drawer. There were already two like it in there. It was only a matter of time until a fourth, fifth, sixth, or any number more would come. They all were requesting the same thing and it did not please Odin. Not in the least.

"This Midgardian girl is turning out to be far more trouble than I thought," He sighed to one of his ravens, "Though it does seem that she and Loki are beginning to like one another. Though she does not belong it will be a pity to hurt my son's heart once more."

Odin did not know why his younger son wanted the burden of being king. All it had ever brought the Allfather was great sadness.

 **A note from the author: Short, but important! Thank you for reading, and special thanks to the guest reviewers! :)**


	21. Chapter 21

"Yggdrasil wakes and so should you!" Loki sang loudly, causing Maisy to grumble from underneath her blanket.

"Is that the alien version of 'wakey wakey eggs and bakey'?"

"Come along now, Maisy, we'll be late for work."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," She threw off her blanket, which had been delivered the night before by a different laundry maid, and got to her feet, "Do we get breakfast?"

"I generally eat with the servants for breakfast and luncheon. You are welcome to join us."

Maisy waved him off and went into the bathroom to ready herself for the day. While she was in the lavatory Loki folded her blanket and put it on the bed. If anyone was to peek in the room and see the nest then it wouldn't be hard to guess that Maisy had been sleeping on the floor. And though it did not directly violate Odin's rules, Loki didn't want to chance that changing because Maisy would be impossibly furious if they had to share a bed. He supposed he didn't blame her overmuch, but it was honestly just putting off the inevitable.

With the blanket folded semi-neatly, he had nothing to occupy his mind except the fact that he still hadn't gotten the chain removed and he was still essentially powerless. He swore that next time he saw Odin he'd get it removed. Especially now that there was some evidence of the one laundress he'd befriended being tampered with magically. While he could sense the magic in her, he couldn't hope to analyse it effectively without having some power of his own.

He suspected that Odin or one of Odin's cronies had cast some spell on the girl. Perhaps an espionage spell, given that she seemed to want to get a closer look at Maisy. Loki supposed that Odin or whoever had done it was using Linn to keep an eye on the girl to see how she was fairing when she didn't know she was under scrutiny.

Apart from feeling slightly bad for Linn, Loki also wanted to uncover what was wrong with her because it would anger Odin. If she was truly spying on them, then Loki wanted to know about it so that they could feed her false information. It was just another move in this odd game they were playing. A game, as Maisy pointed out, where the stakes were her life.

"Okay, you ready?"

"I am not the one who took fifteen minutes in the lavatory," Loki pointed out with a smirk.

"I would have taken longer, but there is only so much I can do to make this outfit look presentable," She gestured to her oversized clothes. Loki had lost any hope of ever having them returned to his wardrobe.

"Shall we?" He offered his arm, but she quietly refused it by walking toward the door.

"Yup, let's get going. Lead the way!"

Seeing that she passed up the offer of his arm, he casually wrapped his arm around her shoulders and steered her in the direction of the laundry room. As expected, she tried to squirm away, but he held firm, both because he thought it was funny and because he caught the looks of the people they passed in the halls. They were curious. They wanted to know why he was so chummy with this mortal girl when he'd never been friendly toward anyone in the palace before. Ever.

It gave him great pleasure to see the nobles and the staff gape at them as they walked toward the lift that would take them down to the lower levels of the massive palace. He even saw one of the ladies of the court who he used to have a crush on scowling at them. He couldn't help a wicked grin in her direction. Maisy was oblivious to all of the silent interactions that were going on around her and she seemed content to walk in silence. However, when they were very nearly there Loki felt her go stiff and freeze up.

"Is there a different way we can take?" She whispered, eyes staring straight ahead. Loki followed her gaze to see that Drin was standing near the lift, flirting with one of the maids, who was all smiles and giggles back at him.

"I'm afraid not," Loki was thinking through his options. He wasn't really in the mood to deal with the brat before him, but he had to get to work. Normally he would have glamoured himself and Maisy to look like other people and they could have snuck by, but with the chain around his neck that was impossible.

"Crap," Maisy said, "I shouldn't have come."

"He won't bother you while you're with me. He'd be an idiot to do so," Loki said hopefully, "Besides, I'm sure by now that his father has filled him in on all of the details of our relationship, given that he was in the council meeting when you first arrived."

"Remind me exactly what our wedding day was like - I was kind of unconscious."

"Ah yes," Loki laughed, "Well, Thor brought you in and begged for you to be saved - I wasn't there at that part - but Odin refused him unless you were a very close friend or part of the family, and Thor couldn't exactly claim that you were a dear friend he'd known for a long time because he has a tendency to go on an on about all of his Midgardian friends so all of Asgard is quite familiar with them. So he needed a loophole, but he was too emotional to think of one so he came to me asking for help."

"So it was your idea that we get married?"

"Yes," He lied, "It made Odin furious, of course, but he couldn't very well deny you the right to live if you were his daughter-in-law, now could he?"

He gracefully excluded mentioning that he'd had doubts that Odin would save her because he was actually not Loki's father. He didn't feel that she needed to know that her actual in-laws were terrifying blue giants who thought killing Midgardians was hilarious.

"So Drin's dad saw all of that happen?"

"Yes."

"So Drin should know by now that we're married and everything?"

"I should hope so. He probably won't even acknowledge us as we pass by."

So they continued, his arm still wrapped around her. She was so worried about Drin that she didn't even take notice of their closeness now. They got to the elevator and thought that they might actually make it by without Drin saying anything, but…

"You must forgive me," He said, and it sounded earnest. The girl he'd been talking to left to get back to work.

"Excuse me?" Maisy asked, truly surprised.

"I am truly sorry for my actions the other day," Drin straightened up and looked at her with nothing but kindness in his eyes, "I was an idiot."

"What game are you playing?" Loki asked.

"No game. I was unaware that when she claimed she was married that she was actually telling the truth. I am sorry, Loki."

"Don't apologize to me. She's the one you accosted."

"Daisy-"

" _Maisy_."

"Maisy, I am sorry. Had I known you were his bride I would have never approached you in such a way. Please forgive me," He took her hand gently but she wouldn't allow for it and ripped away from him and Loki both.

"Are you saying that if I hadn't been married then you wouldn't be sorry?"

"Uh… yes?"

"You can't just go around forcing girls to kiss you!"

"I, uh, but I'm saying that I'm sorry."

"Are you going to apologize to all of the other maids that you've harassed?"

"No, because they aren't married to the king's son," Drin laughed, "Even if the king's son is a traitor and a criminal."

"Watch it," Loki warned.

"That's my point! You would have been perfectly fine with what you did if I was just another maid. You aren't really sorry," She crossed her arms, "You're just scared that Loki will kick your butt."

"Do you want me to kick his butt?" Loki asked with a raised brow.

"I want him to stop bothering the maids!" Maisy exclaimed, "And, no, I don't forgive you, Drin. Go sincerely apologize to every other woman that you've harassed and I'll consider it."

Drin looked at Loki disbelievingly.

"I have made my peace with you," He said, still to Loki, "I apologized to her, but she will not accept it."

"You've done nothing worthy of her forgiveness," Loki pointed out.

"But I have made an effort," Drin insisted, "You and I have no quarrel between us."

"Not currently, but if you have a quarrel with Maisy then consider it between you and I as well."

"Unbelievable," Drin threw up his hands in disgust and stormed off shouting, "You are no friend of mine, trickster!"

"I never wanted to be."

"What a creep!" Maisy exclaimed as they got in the elevator and descended to the laundry room.

"You really are trying _so_ hard to be popular with the nobles, aren't you?"

"What, you wanted me to forgive him?" Maisy scoffed, crossing her arms.

"I'm just saying that you ought to be more careful about who you make an enemy," Loki glanced at her, "As I've said, Drin's father is one of Odin's closest advisors. We don't want to make him upset."

"Is this what it's going to be like forever?" Maisy asked, her face falling hopelessly, "Walking on eggshells to avoid pissing off horrible people?"

"Welcome to the illustrious life of being a royal."

"It sucks," She pouted, "I never asked for this."

"Well if you'd rather be dead I'm sure it won't be hard to arrange."

They rode in silence to the basement and when they got out of the lift and walked to the laundry room they found Linn sitting alone in the corner, folding shirts. She looked miserable and there were dark marks under her eyes.

"Hey Linn!" Maisy greeted cheerfully. Loki was impressed at how quickly she could shake off her irritation to cheer up the other girl.

"I must go check in," He called to them, "But I'll be right over."

"It's not like the laundry is going no where," Linn gave him a small smile.

Maisy turned to her new friend as soon as Loki left and grabbed a shirt to fold.

"How ya feeling?" She asked her.

"I'm doing good, miss, very good."

"Then how come you look so sad?"

"Oh don't you worry about it. I'll be fine."

"If you're upset about last night don't even worry about it, okay? Embarrassing stuff happens to everybody."

"I'd rather be punched in the schnoz than go through that again," Linn moaned, gently taking the shirt from Maisy and refolding it slowly so that she could see how it was done.

"I know, it sucks," Maisy tried another shirt, "It makes you feel sick to your stomach and your face heats up and your hands get shaky and gaaah, it makes me queasy just thinking about it!"

"I've never done anyfing that bad before," Linn slouched, "I don't fink I'll get over it anytime in the nearby soon future."

"You know, one time I was working as a waitress and I did the exact same thing."

"You ran out into the room wif no reason and dropped food all over the place?"

"Sort of. I was kind of flustered because the person I was serving was this big time fashion designer and I wanted to tell her how much I admired her and how much I wanted to be like her, but when I was in the middle of telling her that she was my role model I didn't notice that the food I was carrying slipped off my tray and landed right on her lap!"

"Oh! That's not a good impression I'd say!"

"The worst part was that I didn't even offer to help her clean up! I just shoved a handful of napkins at her and ran for it. I was just glad that I never got around to telling her my name or my career in the fashion industry might have ended before it could start."

"How'd you get over it?"

"Ugh," Maisy laughed, "I'm still not! But laughing about it helps a lot."

"Thanks, Maisy."

"Anytime, and if you want to hang out and laugh, let me know. Day or night."

"Oh but you've got lots on your plate!"

"Not really," she shrugged, "I've been sitting around doing nothing for the past week."

"Well, ifen you is bored you can always come down here and help me fold and scrub!"

"Oh my gosh," Maisy faked excitement, "That sounds like soooo much fun!"

They broke into giggles right as Loki came back and pulled up a stool.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing!" Both girls chimed, which caused them to laugh more as they resumed folding. Loki only rolled his eyes and wondered why he'd let Maisy join him.

 **A note from the author: Okay, that last chapter really was a bit of a tease, so I thought I'd give you a nice long one as well. :)**


	22. Chapter 22

Another week passed in which Maisy and Loki spent the majority of their time working in the laundry room and getting to know Linn better. The two girls got along so well that Loki resolved to hire Linn once Maisy was more firmly planted in the royal family and in need of a ladies maid. The two were always giggling with each other about something and occasionally glancing his way as if he was the punchline of their jokes. Which he might have been.

Odin had elected to leave the anti-magic chain on Loki, or else he'd forgotten about it. It was driving the younger man crazy and it often kept him up at night, pulling at the thing and trying to get comfortable.

By the end of the week they'd managed to swipe a few spools of thread and a seamer for Maisy to use if she so desired. Thor was also successful in getting her sketchbook and wallet back, which pleased her more than they'd thought it would. Her phone, Odin had decided to hand over to some technician to study. Asgard had far more advanced technology, sure, but it was advanced in different ways because they had different needs from their tech than Midgardians did.

In that week Thor announced that, now that Maisy was somewhat settled in (she and Loki both scoffed at that), he was returning to his duties as an Avenger, but would check in at the end of the month. Loki suspected that the check in would be to ensure that everyone was still getting along. Though Loki often viewed his brother with disdain, even he had to admit that Thor was the glue of the family and the oil that kept it running smoothly. Ish, smoothly-ish.

There was another banquet to bid the crown prince farewell, which went better than the first feast Maisy attended, but was still immensely awkward for everyone. Rather than try and engage in conversation, the Midgardian ate her food in silence and answered any questions briskly and concisely. Loki wanted to tell her to quit ignoring the nobles because Odin was glaring at her, but after the way she'd reacted last time he decided to let it be.

When the feast ended Thor approached the couple and pulled them both into a bear hug, much to Loki's displeasure.

"Behave yourselves!" The blond laughed.

"Don't count on it," Loki wheezed.

"When I get back I hope to find that the Allfather and you have settled your differences and everyone is happy, alright?" Thor ruffled Maisy's hair.

"Don't ask for the impossible, dude," She laughed, "But I'll do what I can to get along with him."

"Honestly," Thor released both of them, "It is a shame that the one thing that holds your relationship together is the fact that you both hate the king."

"It works for us," Loki crossed his arms, "Be careful on Midgard."

"Is that concern?" Thor grinned.

"Just get going, oaf."

"Farewell, brother," Thor gave him another hug and then turned to Maisy, "Keep him out of trouble."

"No promises," Maisy gave him a hug, "Goodbye!"

Thor left the dining hall and as soon as he was gone Loki and Maisy found guards on either side of them. Maisy yelped in surprise but Loki merely sighed.

"What did we do?" She whispered.

"Nothing. Whenever Thor is absent, however, I am accompanied by guards wherever I go. Odin has it in his mind that if Thor isn't here then I will jeopardize my probation."

"So these guys are going to be following us everywhere? They didn't do that when Thor dropped down to tell my parents where I am."

"That's because he didn't tell anyone but us that he was leaving and scarcely anyone knew he was gone," Loki started walking toward their room and the guards followed, "You'll find that live around the palace can be a lot more stifling when Thor isn't here to speak in my favor."

"Great," Maisy watched the armed men warily, "What happens if they think we're stepping out of line?"

"Dungeon time until Thor gets home, and if we say a word about it to my brother then we'll lose some privilege," His voice caught a little, "Like the library."

"Well this sucks."

"Indeed it does."

"So we've just got to be extra careful to follow the rules, right? That's not so hard."

They arrived at the door to their room and found a note tacked to the door. Loki pulled it off curiously and suppressed a groan.

"It shouldn't be too hard, unless Odin decides to add more rules," He opened the door to the room, pulled her inside and slammed the door on the guards. As soon as they were inside he let go of Maisy's arm and tossed the folded note on the table with a growl of frustration.

"I'm sure we'll be able to work with it," Maisy said quietly. Loki noticed that she had backed away from him a bit, worry in her eyes, "I mean, what else could he possibly-"

"'For the duration of Thor's absence,'" Loki read in a scarily convincing impression of Odin's voice, "'The confines of your probation have been limited to your chambers and your place of work for the day. In transit between locations you will be accompanied by one guard each.'"

"So we're only allowed here and the laundry room?" Maisy asked, "I mean, that sucks but-"

"'In addition to this, Loki shall not be allowed his magical abilities.'"

"I'm sorry, but you've gone this long without them, right? What's another month?"

"Torture!" He growled, tossing the paper into the fireplace, "Another month of this enervation will drive me mad!"

Maisy didn't know what enervation meant, but she didn't feel this was the correct time to ask. From the context she was assuming it wasn't good. She was a little frightened by his sudden outbursts when he'd been so calm and collected moments before. It dawned on her that he might blame this on her, because it seemed like Odin hadn't been creating loads of rules before she came.

"I'm sorry, Loki," She said, trying to move closer. He gave her a disdainful look and she backed away quickly, trying to keep the table between herself and him. She tried not to make it too obvious that she was inching toward the door in case he freaked out.

"Don't cower so," He snarled, "You know I am not going to harm you. I don't wish to alienate my only remaining ally."

"It kind of seems like you need some time alone," She speedily stepped to the bathroom door, "I'll be in here if you need me."

Closing the door on him, she let out a deep breath and sat on the edge of the tub, waiting out his grouchiness. Hopefully he would get over the new rules soon.

Loki glared at the bathroom door and sat down on a chair, resting his elbows on the table. He was fuming, but his good sense told him that he'd better reign in his anger soon or the guards might come in and throw him in the dungeon. After the first time that Odin had tossed him back in a cell he'd resolved not to go back ever again. The dungeon was a very different place when your mother wasn't petitioning to keep you comfortable there.

When he'd finally calmed down, he knocked on the bathroom door.

"I'm sorry Maisy. You can come out now."

Stepping out of the bathroom she revealed that she had changed out of her gown and into the black clothes. She'd refitted the shirt and pants the very day he'd given her the seamer (it hadn't taken her long to figure out how to use the device and declare it was far superior to a sewing machine) and they looked much better on her now. He couldn't help noticing that she'd removed a section of the long sleeve and replaced it with some of the fabric from the green scarf he'd given her. She seemed to be making more and more efforts to get along with him, which made him feel bad for his lashing out.

"I apologize for snapping at you."

"It's fine. You were ticked off and had a good reason to be. Odin is getting more and more ridiculous."

"And I fear he shall continue to do so."

"Why?"

"He knows that I do not have much to gain from our arrangement," Loki tossed her the blankets she'd been using, "He wants me to give up on it out of frustration."

"Ugh. So he's just going to keep throwing things at us until you say you're done with me and the dumb rules and then he's going to kill me?"

"That's what he has planned, I think," Loki pulled off his dress shirt, making Maisy blush and look away, "But don't worry. I won't be bullied so easily."

"What are we going to do?"

"Get him to change his plan. If we show him that his rules don't bother us, that we're actually growing closer despite them, then he'll be forced to change tactics and stop making stupid rules."

"That sounds like it involves acting like we like each other," Maisy said suspiciously, as she wrapped her blankets around her and sat in her corner.

"I'm hurt," He smirked at her, "You don't like me?"

"No, no!" She quickly said, "You've been much nicer than I thought you'd be - I mean, uh, you haven't murdered me. Crap, um, you are, you've helped me a lot and, uh, I appreciate…"

He crouched next to her and pushed her hair out of her face, making her blush and stammer some more. She swallowed nervously when he smiled at her.

"So what you're saying is, I'm not that bad?"

"Uh…" She cleared her throat, "C-could you backup a smidgen?"

He laughed and moved away again, putting on a night shirt.

"Norns, I was just showing you how easy it is to act like _good friends_. Don't have a bilgesnipe over it."

"A bilgesnipe? Don't you mean a cow?"

"Regardless of the terminology, you needed work yourself up over some acting lessons," He had the gall to wink at her and she decided the best course of action was to pull her blanket over her head and pretend to go to sleep.

"G'night!"

"Sleep well, Maisy."

"Yep! You too!" She burrowed under her blankets and held her breath, hoping he wasn't staring at her, but knowing that he was. Probably with one of those amused smirks on his stupid handsome face.


	23. Chapter 23

As the month progressed Maisy became aware of how irritating life at the palace without Thor could be. The somewhat respectful silence around Loki became jeering and sneers from the nobles, as they knew no one was there to defend him. He took it all with either biting comebacks and sneers of his own, or dead silence and cowing glares.

The first few days Maisy was left alone because no one knew the nature of her relationship with Loki and they assumed that she was some maid. However, Drin spread around the rumor that she was his girlfriend (though he used a much less polite term that insinuated things that made Maisy burst into tears the first time someone had hissed it at her). Nobles lashed out with a venom that seemed to mock their serene and sparkling appearances. The said "Midgardian" like it was a curse word and on one particular trip to the laundry room, someone even threw a rotten, squishy fruit at her.

"Gah!" She exclaimed, wiping it off her chest. It looked like a really rotten banana and smelled like the garbage cans in a college dormitory.

"Go home, you mindless mortal!" Whoever had thrown and yelled disappeared down some die corridor before Maisy could see them, but she was guessing it was a friend of Drin's.

"If I find out who did that," Loki said calmly, "I'll lop off their head and put it in Drin's closet along with his laundry."

"Watch what you say," One of the guards snapped, "I'm itching for an excuse to hit you, trickster."

"Are you alright, Maisy?" Loki asked, ignoring the guard.

"Fine," She swiped off the last of the nastiness with a cringe, "Maybe Linn will let me borrow a top while I wash this one."

"They aren't usually this horrendous. They usually ignore me, apart from a few angry remarks," He pushed the button for the lift, "Someone must be stirring the nobles up with gossip."

"Is there anything we can do about it? Change their minds somehow?"

Maisy looked at him and noticed he'd gotten a scheming look in his eyes. Apart from the usual nerves that look brought, she was also excited to see that he had a plan.

"You know, I think I have an idea," He crossed his arms, "But we'll need a bit of help from Linn. And perhaps Fandral if we can persuade him. We'll set it up for tomorrow."

 **A note from the author: Thank you ever so much for reading! I hope you are enjoying it so far! Thank you to Lwolf for the review! :D**


	24. Chapter 24

"Oh my norns!" Linn wailed, throwing her hand to her forehead in dramatic distress, "Someone help me!"

A few nobles in the crowded corridor turned to look at the girl as she ran, stumbling through them. Heavy footsteps thudded behind her and a man came into sight. He was wielding a knife and had a sinister smirk on his face. The nobles, uncaring about if one silly laundress lived or died, watched curiously but made no move to help the girl, who was obviously running from the man.

"Come here so I can slit your throat, you little pink vermin!"

A few nobles muttered about perhaps calling for the guards, but no one made a move. Linn scowled at them and continued in her flight from the sweaty, balding creep who was following her. She spotted Loki, Maisy, and their guards ahead of her and sprinted into Maisy's arms with a sob. It might have been a bit too theatrical, but Linn thought if anyone was being over the top it was Fandral with his fake golden tooth and name calling.

"Are you alright?" Maisy asked. Her acting voice was painfully stiff even to Linn's ears and she hoped nobody would catch on.

"That man wants to kill me just because I'm being a Krylorian! He finks that I'm worthless!"

The guards looked at each other. Linn was glad that neither was a man that she knew, otherwise they probably would have rushed to dispatch her pursuer. The guards that she knew were always kind to her because they knew well that she had access to itching powder and a full shift with an itchy tunic was not a good shift.

Loki stepped forward in front of the two girls and glared at Fandral. The disguise was surprisingly convincing. Since Loki had been unable to use magic to change Fandral's appearance he'd given the other man a few pointers, a few stolen garments, and a potion that would change his face for an hour.

"Get out of me way, you slimy rich boy!"

"Why are you chasing this girl? Has she done anything to you?"

"Nah, but she's a Krylorian. And the only good Krylorian is a dead Krylorian if you is asking me, Your Low-ness."

Linn tried not to take offense at that.

"You are a disgrace to Asgardians," Loki declared, "If I were still instated as a prince of the realm I'd have you banished!"

"I'd have his head!" Maisy added, sticking her chin out and holding Linn close, "I would show him no mercy! Chasing an innocent girl with a knife through the halls of the palace? Disgusting!"

A few nobles murmured in agreement. They weren't fond of the idea of crazy armed men running around where they spent their time.

"If my brother, Prince Thor, were here he'd see you to the dungeons," Loki snarled, grabbing the knife from the man and turning it over to one of the guards.

"I'd see him to the chopping block!" Maisy cried passionately, "Off with his head!"

"Guards," Loki turned to them with a pleading face, "Please ensure some form of punishment is given to this rat."

"What are we supposed to do?" One of the guards asked in irritation.

The nobles obviously didn't like the nonchalance that the guard was treating this with and they began to whisper "off with his head" or "to the dungeon". They moved in angrily and Maisy goaded them on. Linn couldn't help but snicker at the genuine fear that flashed across Fandral's face. She didn't know the warrior apart from one quick meeting earlier, but she had found his bravado funny.

"Fine, if you won't do anything I will!" Loki declared and grabbed Fandral's collar. Again, there was that fear and Linn wondered if Fandral was legitimately worried that Loki was going to kill him. The former prince heaved the other man over to a window and tossed him out. The whole situation seemed far too convoluted for anyone to believe.

"There!" Maisy declared happily, "The trash has been taken out!"

A cheer went up through the nobles and Linn couldn't believe how cold hearted they were. Even if she knew that Fandral had landed on a small hovering craft outside she still thought it was awful to have thrown him out the window. They were so high up in the palace, if he'd missed his ride he probably would have died of old age before he ever hit the ground.

But the nobles drank it all in with excitement. It seemed the little charade had the intended effect, too, because the richly dressed people were patting Loki and Maisy on the back and congratulating them on disposing of the vermin. A few older people pinched Linn's cheeks and told her that she had been very brave and that the crazy man had no right to treat her that way. A few of them told her that they didn't think Krylorians were all that bad and tried to comfort her by telling her that her skin wasn't _that_ pink anyway. It was hard to smile and nod at those comments.

Linn caught Loki smirking at her and Maisy and she grinned back. Even though she'd never been in any danger, she felt a bit warm inside to see the prince jump in to save her. She liked to image that a big brother would do the same, or her father if he wasn't completely without guts.

Everyone quieted down when the king came striding through the corridor. He did not look happy and his unhappiness was directed mainly at Maisy. This was surprising because Linn would have thought the Allfather would have been more mad at Loki since he was the one who threw Fandral out the window. There was no explanation though, or public announcement about the staged drama because Odin grabbed Maisy by the arm and yanked her away from Linn, practically dragging her down the hall.

"Do not let him follow," The king barked at the guards. The two men jumped to prevent Loki from going after Maisy and his father. Linn had never seen the prince really angry before, but when his eyes narrowed, his hands clenched to fists, and his jaw set she suddenly remembered that he'd killed a lot of people before - people who weren't just play acting and had a secret escape plan like Fandral had.

"Where are you taking her?!" Loki hollered. There was no response, which made the dark haired man even angrier and he shoved against the guards, trying to get through, "She's done nothing wrong!"

"I think you'll spend a bit of time in the dungeon while we wait for the Allfather to tell us what to do with you," One of the guards sneered, "Back where you belong."

"No!"

He was struggling to get free of the two other men and Linn wished she could help… until she didn't have any desire to help him, but became way more interested in where Odin was taking Maisy. She ignored Loki's yelling and cursing as the guards dragged him away and instead ran after the king. She had a thought that she wasn't sure belonged to her, but that she didn't necessarily disagree with: _If he touches a hair on his head he will be sorry!_

Then she had a thought she knew wasn't hers because before this moment she'd liked Odin fairly well and because she didn't like violence: _If he does anything to hurt Maisy I'll kill him._

 **A not from the author: thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it as thoroughly as I enjoy getting reviews! ;)**


	25. Chapter 25

It seemed that who or whatever had last occupied this cell had not been a big fan of cleaning or of hygiene as the place smelled worse than Thor's armpits. Loki tried not to touch anything too grimy looking, but it was difficult to avoid as everything was in a deplorable state of extreme griminess.

He wasn't so much worried that he was in the cell, though it made his heart beat fast with panic and he couldn't help worrying that he'd be stuck here forever. Intellectually, he knew that even if Odin did not let him out soon, Thor would return in… about two weeks. So he'd only have to endure for that long. Loki was more worried about Maisy and Linn.

His worry for Maisy was for obvious reasons. She had been hauled off by Odin.. Since the motive for this sudden snatching was unknown, it was likely that the king had something ridiculous in mind, claiming she was somehow breaking the rules. But Loki had made sure their performance was within their parameters so it would have to be quite a weasley loophole. Not that he'd put it past the man he'd once called father to create a new rule on the spot or yell at her just because she'd won the favor of a few nobles..

Linn was another problem. Right as he was being carted off to the dungeon he'd sensed the magic in her again. And as soon as he'd sensed it she'd gotten a blank look in her eyes and run after Odin. This seemed to oppose the theory that she was an unwilling spy for Odin because if she was then she wouldn't have needed to follow him. If she has spying for Odin a more likely scenario was that she would follow Loki and keep an eye on him instead. Of course, she could be relaying information to the king, but if she wasn't then Loki needed to find out who in the nine realms had cast a spell on the laundress. As she was one of the few people in the universe who actually liked Loki, he felt that whoever had bewitched her was crossing a line. Even if her bubbly personality and improper speech annoyed him.

Besides, if Linn was spying for someone else, whoever it was seemed to be fixated on Maisy and that made Loki wary as well. As he stood in his cell (sitting was not a hygienic option in the nasty place) he tried to compile a list of people who might want to spy on his wife. It took a few minutes to go through his list of enemies. The problem with being the "bad guy" was that your enemies were generally good people and wouldn't magically force a young girl to spy on a woman. Of course, there were more than a few less-than-good and downright bad people on his list as well, but many of them were not capable of magic or at least, not this kind of magic.

"Of all those people," He muttered, "My only enemies that could and would have done it are Amora, Malekith - and he's dead and didn't really know me in the first place - maybe Lorelai - but her powers only work on men - perhaps Nightmare, and," He rubbed his forehead tiredly, "Any remaining Jotuns who possess magical abilities."

To be fair, that did narrow down the list of enemies considerably.

Then it occurred to him that perhaps whoever was spying on Maisy was not doing so to get to him. As a Midgardian he didn't expect her to have many powerful enemies, but in the past few weeks he'd forgotten about her ex-boyfriend. Loki didn't know much about Belison beyond that he was bad news, but he did know that both Jotun and Vanir possessed the ability to develop magical skills. Apart from that, Belison had been trained by Surtur, who was rumored to know a thing or two about casting curses.

"Not to mention he has motive," Loki said to himself, becoming more sure of the culprit, "Even if he didn't have some grand plan for Maisy, she said he was possessive. Perhaps he became aware of what has happened."

That made him more than a little nervous. Though Maisy was growing on him, he wasn't sure he wanted to fight Egil Belison for her. Especially if Loki was without magic for the initial throwdown.

But Maisy had said that she was through with the other man… then again, it was probable that he'd sent a lindworm after her so _he_ might not be done with _her_. That was tough luck for Maisy then, because Loki was not about to get involved in an inter-realm skirmish over a Midgardian woman he'd met a month ago and rescued only to spite Odin. Even if she was his wife.

 **A note from the author: I just wanted to take a moment to let you know that the plot might get convoluted in the future of this story. If I am being honest, I write this story just for fun. Not really to develop my skills or to come up with a clever plot. So, I apologize if things seem to get a little crazy. I am mostly just having a good time writing this and thought it would be nice of me to warn you that I'm not trying my hardest. Thank you for reading anyway. :)**


	26. Chapter 26

"What is your game, woman?" Odin demanded, roughly tossing Maisy into one of the chairs in his study. He glared down at her and she felt incredibly small.

"What do you mean?"

"You have come to Asgard with a purpose."

"Actually, I was brought to Asgard-"

"Do not interrupt your king!" He roared, "I grow weary of your deceit, Midgardian. Tell me what you want of my realm."

"I don't want anything! In fact, I'd really like to go home!"

Although, that wasn't entirely true at the moment. Her dad was probably still furious and she was a month behind in school. But eventually she wanted to be able to leave this shiny realm behind her. She knew as well as anyone that humans did not belong here. Not because of the environment or terrain, but because the Asgardians treated humans so poorly.

"More falsehoods. It is no wonder you and my son get along so well, you are both lying snakes."

"What are you talking about? What did I lie about?"

"I know that you are no ordinary Midgardian. Someone sent you here. Who was it? Nicholas Fury? Anthony Stark? The foul Hydra?"

"Hydra?" Maisy blinked, "Aren't they, like, Nazi's or something? Didn't Captain America end them?"

"Who was it?! Who sent you to spy on us?!"

"No one! Ask Thor when he gets back! He's the one who brought me here!"

"I do not believe you," Odin calmed down a bit and sat across from her, "I believe that someone on Midgard sent you to be the representative of that realm, but they knew to send you early so you would have an advantage."

"An advantage for what?"

Odin ignored her question and began sorting through letters on his desk. He collected four written notes and clutched them tightly in his hand, wrinkling the pages.

"Muspelheim, Alfheim, and," He growled, "Svartalvheim. Their letters have trickled in ever since you arrived. And today even a small planet called Krylor in the Andromeda Galaxy! They all demand the same thing and I do not doubt that more letters will follow them."

"What do they want? What's this have to do with me?"

"As if you didn't know," Odin scoffed and shoved the letters at her, "Take these back to your _husband_ and he will explain it to you. Get out of my sight."

Maisy tucked the letters in her pocket and dashed out the door. She barely noticed Linn standing nearby as she sprinted to her and Loki's room. She hoped he would be there so that she could figure out why Odin was suddenly so mad at her. However, upon arriving at her living quarters she could not find him. She decided to go to the laundry room to see if he'd gone to work, but when she got there he was, again, absent.

"Are you looking for your green prince?" Madame Veru hobbled over to her and shoved a red dress into her hands, "He never showed up today. If it happens again I will tell the head laundress to send him back to kitchen duty."

"Why do you keep giving me red clothes?" Maisy asked, momentarily distracted, "Are you trying to make Loki mad?"

"It is not wise to poke a bear," Veru said, "But it is funny."

"So you're doing it because you think it's a good laugh?"

"And because you do not belong with him. The sooner the two of you realize that the sooner we can get rid of a filthy Midgardian. Before you ask, I will not stop making your clothing in red. The color works better with your complexion."

"Then please," Maisy lifted her chin, "Stop making me clothing."

"What?!"

"Your designs are lovely, and I admire them, but I think I will make my own clothes from now on."

"Ungrateful little girl!" Veru spat at Maisy, "Do not come back to the laundry room again. Loki may return, but if I see you here again I will lodge a complaint with the Allfather. And I think you are already on shaky ground with him!"

"Fine!" Maisy spun around and headed back to the lift. She was disappointed that she wouldn't be able to spend her days with Linn anymore, but she certainly didn't need more trouble with Odin… or anyone in the palace for that matter.

She stormed back to her room and spread the letters out on the table. Intending to read them, she stared at them for a few minutes before realizing they were all written in different languages that she didn't understand. Frustrated at this, she collected the letters and put them on Loki's desk. Then she ripped down the dark green curtains, which had only recently been restored to their rightful place, and got out the sewing device that Loki had swiped for her.

It was a handy little machine. It kind of reminded her of a mouse for a computer, but where you might put batteries in, you put in a spool of thread instead. There was needle to loop the thread through and then you basically just moved it wherever you needed stitches and somehow it sewed. If she'd had this at school she could have finished her projects much faster and probably have gotten better grades.

As she snipped away with scissors and sewed the pieces together, she didn't hear the door open or see Linn come in. The other girl tapped Maisy on the shoulder, startling her into making a bigger cut than she had intended.

"Gah! Oh, Linn!" Maisy took a deep breath, "Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry Maisy," Linn sat down, "Whatcha doing?"

"Making a dress," Maisy surveyed the damage, "I guess the sleeves are going to be short instead of full length."

"Whoopsie. I am terrible sorry bout dat."

"It's alright, it will probably work better with the overall design anyway," Maisy put down her scissors, "What brings you here?"

"Just wanted to make sure you was alright after the king yelled at you. You alright?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Maisy replied enthusiastically and then drooped, "Not really. He yelled at me for something I didn't do. Then he shoved some letters at me that I don't understand. And now I can't find Loki anywhere! Oh, and on top of that, I'm banished from the laundry room."

"Well," Linn gave Maisy a hug, "That sucks."

"No kidding."

"But I fink I can solve one of your problems. I saw the guards drag him off. Musta taken him to the dungeon."

"Loki?"

"Yeah, he was mad at the king for taken ya away."

"Oh great!" Maisy groaned, "He'll probably be stuck there until Thor comes back! Then I won't be able to find out what those stupid letters say for two weeks!"

"What stupid letters?"

Maisy stood up and grabbed them from the desk. She handed them over to her friend.

"Odin says that they are from three different realms and some planet called Krypton or something. He was angry about them but he didn't tell me why."

"You mean Krylor," Linn held up one of the letters, "That's where me dad is from. Krylorians, ya know?"

"Really?"

"Yeah," Linn snickered, "I fink Krypton in where Superman is from. Me mum left behind some Superman comic books."

"Oh," Maisy smiled slightly, "Do you think you can read what that one says?"

"Nah, me dad never taught me the language," Linn looked the letter over, "But I could go into town tonight and see if dad will read it. He can tell me what it means and I can tell you."

"Would you? That'd be awesome! Thank you so much!"

"No problem," Linn flipped through the other three papers, "I dunno about these other ones. Ooh, this one has shiny ink!"

It was black piece of paper with silver writing on it and it looked like something out of a witch's lair. Maisy liked the aesthetic though.

"The guards have stopped following me around," She said, looking at the paper, "Do you think I could sneak down to the dungeon and get Loki to take a look at them?"

"I wouldn't risk dat," Linn warned, "If they catch you in the dungeon they might not letcha back out again."

"Good point. I guess we'll just have to see what the Krylorian one says and wait on the rest. Maybe once Fandral gets back we can ask him… but Odin might not like that. Odin probably doesn't want word of whatever this is getting around too much."

"I'll take it to me dad tonight and sneak up here to let you know what's up."

"Sounds good."

"And I'll see if any of the guards are talking bout Loki."

"Thanks!"

Maisy watched her young friend go and got back to her sewing. She hoped that Odin would let Loki out soon. Being alone in the palace was even more frightening than being married to a murderer. Every time she heard someone walk past in the hallway she jumped. It caused her to have to rip out several seams and eventually she just locked the door. The locked door didn't stop her from grabbing a dagger she'd seen stashed in Loki's wardrobe and picking it up every time she heard footsteps. It was going to be a long night.


	27. Chapter 27

After two ridiculously long days of sitting in the dungeon, Loki was released. He was surprised that no guards accompanied him as he went upstairs. He wondered what had prompted Odin to go lighter on the security until he got to the door to his chambers and spotted three guards lurking around. For some reason the brute force had been concentrated on Maisy. But that at least meant that Odin hadn't killed her yet.

"Stop loitering," He snapped at one of the guards.

"The Allfather doesn't want her wandering the halls."

"Then she's in there?"

"Yes," The guard said, "And the only visitor she's had is Linn. Honestly, I'm not even sure you're allowed to see her."

"Are you going to stop me?"

"No."

"Why not?" Loki was wary of owing anyone a favor.

"Because you saved Linn and I'm grateful for it," The guard said, "She's a friend of mine."

Loki didn't respond, he just pushed open his door and was greeted by a scream of rage and a pillow to the face. Before he could orient himself he felt something sharp poking at his stomach. When he finally recovered from the shock he saw Maisy standing in front of him with a pillow in one hand and his knife in the other. When she saw it was him she yelped and dropped both of her weapons, backing up and shrinking away.

"Norns!" He exclaimed, "What was that for?!"

"Sorry! You didn't use the secret knock that Linn and I created and the guards never come in so I thought you might be here to attack me or something!"

"Who would attack you?"

"I don't know!" She glared at him, "I've been really paranoid I guess."

"Well," He picked up his knife, "I'm not going to attack you so calm down - are you wearing the drapes?"

"I was bored, okay?" She swished the skirt of a very Midgardian styled dress.

"Nevermind," He put the dagger back in its hiding place and rubbed his forehead tiredly, "I need a bath. We can talk when I've finished ridding myself of dungeon grime."

"So they really did throw you in the dungeon?"

"Yes," He stepped into the bathroom and shut the door behind him more loudly than he probably should have.

When he was finished he came out and stared at Maisy, who was curled up on the bed with what looked to be embroidery. She glanced up when he entered and shot up and off the bed, setting her work aside.

"Are you okay?" She asked, "Did the guards hurt you?"

"I'm fine," He replied shortly, "What about you? What did Odin want?"

"To yell at me, and to accuse me of being a spy for earth."

"And are you?" Loki asked rubbing his hair with a towel.

"How can you think that?!" She exclaimed, "I am not spying for anyone! I don't want to be here! I certainly didn't want to get stabbed by a giant lizard!"

"I was jesting," He rolled his eyes, "Why would Odin all of a sudden think you are engaged in inter-realm espionage? Surely our little show with Fandral and Linn did not convince him of that."

"He said it had something to do with these letters but I've only been able to find out what one of them says," She opened a drawer of _his_ desk and pulled out four pieces of paper. The familiarity with which she moved about the room unnerved Loki. She was acting as if she owned the place - or at least shared it equally. He supposed that with him gone she'd probably taken to sleeping on the bed and using his desk and who knew what else! Ridiculous.

"Linn got her dad to translate the one from Krylor, but Odin mentioned something about Alfheim, Muspelheim, and, uh, Fartleheim."

"Svartalfheim, home of the Dark Elves."

"Yeah, that," Maisy flipped through the papers once more before handing them over, "Linn's dad says that the one from Krylor is angry. It's from the council there or something and they heard about me somehow and they said something about it not being fair that Midgard has a contender already in the game. Then they demand something called, um," She grabbed back one of the papers, which had notes in English, "Taka af Brúðr. I probably pronounced that wrong. I never learned how to use those stupid accent marks and weird olden day letters. But anyway, Odin said you'd know what-"

"Did you say 'Taka af Brúðr'?!" Loki demanded, making the peculiar words sound more more smooth than Maisy had. He hastily began reading the other three letters and his face paled more with each page.

"I didn't say it so fluently, but yeah. What is it? Linn's dad said it wasn't a Krylorian phrase."

"This isn't good," He put the letters on the table and grabbed Maisy's shoulders, "Did Odin say if he was going to honor their requests?"

"Uh, I don't know," Her eyes were wide.

"I can't see why he wouldn't," Loki swore loudly and turned away from her, "So this is how he's going to get rid of you. Convenient that the other realms discovered your existence, I wonder how that got out!"

"Odin seemed upset that they were sending him letters so I don't think he told them about me," Maisy commented, more scared of the letters now that she'd seen Loki's reaction to them, "What's going on?"

"Odin was peeved by this?"

"Yes, he seemed particularly mad at Svart- um, the home of the Dark Elves."

"I don't blame him for that. The Dark Elves killed his wife, my mother, and they nearly killed Thor and myself. Not to mention they attacked Midgard."

"They did? I heard there was a Thor sighting last year in England. I wonder if that's when it happened."

"I was receiving extensive medical attention at that point, I've no idea where in Midgard they attacked," Loki dismissed the issue, "I can't fathom why the remaining elves would have the gall to send a request for Taka af Brúðr! After all they've done they think we'd allow one of them to enter the royal family? They are sadly mistaken."

"Enter the royal family?" Maisy tried to get in his line of vision again, "What's going on? Just explain it to me, please!"

Loki met her gaze with sad eyes and steered her to the edge of the bed and they both sat down. He had snatched up the letters once more and held up one of three that Maisy was still clueless about.

"This one is from Alfheim and it says: 'Allfather, we have recently made the discovery that your second son has taken to wooing a Midgardian female. We wish to know why the Council of Realms was not informed of this. We also wish to know if Midgard is using this girl to form some sort of alliance with Asgard. We do not think it fair that they be given the right to this political match when you have neglected to discuss the matter with your current allies first. To this end, we of Alfheim demand the ceremony of Taka af Brúðr so that any realms, star systems, or planets that wish may have equal right.'"

"That sounds pretty similar to the Krylorian one," Maisy said, "They were upset that I'm here and they think it's unfair that Midgard gets to form some kind of alliance with Asgard before anyone else gets a say in it. And what exactly do they want equal right to?"

"Me."

"Huh?"

Loki sighed and fanned out the letters.

"They cannot criticize the person Thor wishes to pursue romantically because he is the crown prince of the Realm Eternal and therefore has a right to date or marry whomever he chooses. There is a very old rule that says the same is not true for the second born prince. This rule has not been used since ancient times, as Odin's brother chose never to marry and was exiled and their father, Bor, was the one who invented the rule in the first place for his brother Njord."

"Odin has a brother?"

"Good old Uncle Cul," Loki scoffed, "Not a person you would ever want to meet."

"Okay then…"

"In any case, the rule says that if the younger son of the king does not choose to marry an Asgardian then the other realms, star systems, planets, or tribe of nomads that wishes to compete can send a woman to fight for his hand. The women must complete many trials and the victor of the events is given the prince as a reward."

"What the actual heck?!" Maisy stared at him, "So the prince has to marry whoever won all the events?"

"Not necessarily," Loki said, "He is permitted to refuse her, but depending on what realm wins it is not always wise to do so because it is seen as an insult. For instance, if a Jotun girl were to win and I refused her it wouldn't be such a big problem because Asgard could wipe out Jotunheim anytime they'd like and Jotunheim knows it so they wouldn't get overly upset about the refusal."

"So to prevent fighting the women also have to try and get the prince to like them?"

"Yes."

"And what happens if the prince refuses all them?"

"He is considered extremely childish and it reflects badly on the whole realm, but there is no consequence. Besides, he is only allowed to refuse up to two of them and then he must marry the third place winner. Or refuse her too and be mocked by his entire kingdom."

"Is that what happened to Cul?"

"No, but none of the realms would have wanted one of their women to marry him anyway. He probably would have killed the poor girl instead of shaking her hand when they met."

"Yikes."

"Indeed."

"So is this whole competition thing the Taka af Brúðr or whatever?"

"Yes, but it would seem they haven't heard or do not care that we're already married."

"So Odin won't let it happen, right?"

"I cannot be sure," Loki put a gentle hand on her shoulder and met her eyes, "If it were just Alfheim, Svartalfheim, and Krylor that were demanding it I could see him explaining the situation to them and they'd probably let it go. Svaralfheim has no desire to fight us now that Malekith, their king, is dead. And Alfheim can be reasonable. I know little of Krylor, but I doubt one planet would be much of a threat to Asgard."

"But Muspelheim is involved," Maisy guessed, "And you guys have beef with Muspelheim. And they've got lindworms."

"So glad you remember," Loki teased, "You are correct. To refuse them this right would open a world of trouble, which Odin likely does not want to get into over the life of one Midgardian."

"I don't blame him for that one."

"It is interesting," Loki mused, inching closer to her with mischief in his eyes, "That we seem to be having all of this trouble with Muspelheim lately. Lindworms on Midgard and now they are calling for this competition. I wonder what could have set them off."

Maisy glared at him.

"You think Egil had something to do with this? Why would he care?"

"Perhaps because it is a great opportunity for his king to insert someone into the Asgardian royal family and maybe, just maybe, because it would mean that _you_ would no longer be - how did you put it? 'Tied down'."

She bristled angrily at this and stood up, walking away from him. He followed and got between her and the bathroom door so she couldn't ignore him by hiding away.

"Oh come on!" She finally said, throwing her hands up, "He can't be behind this! How would he even know that I'm here? And I'm still not convinced my Egil is the same as this dude from Muspelheim."

" _Your_ Egil, hmm?"

"Shut up," Maisy snapped, "You know that's not what I meant."

"Not convinced still? Fine, do you have picture of him?"

"On my phone, but Odin hasn't given it back yet."

"You forgot about the one tucked in your sketchbook," Loki smirked, picking up the book from where it was sitting on his desk. Maisy cried out indignantly, but that didn't stop him from flipping to a page that had a photograph paperclipped to a drawing of the man from the picture.

"That's private!" She exclaimed, "How did you know that was there?"

"I couldn't sleep one night and I snooped," He winked, "You are quite the artist. This drawing looks exactly like the photo. Do you think if I show it to Thor that he will confirm the identity?"

"Give that back!" She jumped at him, trying to steal it back, but he gracefully moved out of the way, much to her frustration, "You're so immature! Give it back right now!"

"No need to try and hide anything," He sneered, "I've looked through the whole thing already. The sketch of the lindworm is nightmarish! You captured the death in its eyes well."

"You jerk! Those aren't meant to be seen by anyone!"

"Why do I get the feeling Egil Belison saw the portrait you drew of him? And all of your other drawings?" Loki didn't know why he was being so rude. Maybe because he hadn't slept well and was cranky, or maybe because he was frustrated that Maisy refused to believe her ex was a bad person.

"He saw a few. So what?!" She made another futile attempt at getting back her book.

"So you're willing to show your precious, private sketches to an intergalactic criminal but not to your own husband? Explain to me why that is."

Her face had gone red and she looked about ready to burst with anger. Loki knew he should apologize, give back the drawings, and start thinking about how to persuade Odin not to go through with Taka af Brúðr, but he was having too much fun making Maisy mad. The only other time he'd seen her like this was before she'd slept in the library.

"Because," She growled, "I _chose_ to be with him. I _chose_ to show him things and talk about stuff with him. I _chose_ him!"

That stung more than Loki thought it should have and he did a quick evaluation of his emotions to make sure he wasn't falling for her or anything crazy like that. No, he still liked her well enough, but as far as he could tell he wasn't anywhere close to falling in love. So why did that comment hurt?

"Technically," He sneered shrewdly, "You've chosen me too."

"Over death!" She laughed bitterly and crossed her arms, "But if I could live without you and I was given a real choice I would never pick to stay with you. Not in a million years."

Oh! That one stung too! Why in the nine realms were her comments biting at him? Maybe because they wounded his ego. He didn't think of himself as a ladies' man like Fandral, but he'd thought he was, well, at least attractive. Even being in Thor's shadow, he was still a prince and there had never been a shortage of swooning women throwing themselves at him. That must be why Maisy's words stung so much, it was bruising his ego. That was all. And if he knew why he was reacting to her comments the way he did he could ignore the stinging.

"Is that supposed to shock me?" He laughed, "I invaded your realm with an army, I wouldn't expect you to be fawning over me. I just don't understand why you still cling to thoughts of a man who you said you were through with."

"No, you don't understand," She calmed down a bit and held out her hand, "Loki, please give me back my sketchbook."

What a disappointing way to end an argument. All the fire had gone right out of her and she look resigned with her words. On the other hand, Loki was just starting to get riled up. He hated it when someone told him he didn't understand and then refused to explain the thing he didn't understand to him. It felt like losing. And it felt even more like losing to hand over the book, even if he did it with a wry grin.

"Thank you," She took out the photograph of Belison and handed it back to him, "When Thor gets back you can show that to him and then we'll know for sure, won't we?"

Loki took the picture and put it in his pocket. Then he went back over to the bed and picked up the letter from Muspelheim, which was easily distinguished because it was singed along the edges. It was a wonder that they used any paper at all in such a fiery place. He took the note over to Maisy.

"I do not make my accusations of Egil Belison lightly. I do have some evidence that he is involved in this ridiculous business," He held the paper in front of her and pointed to the top section, "The first part is nearly the same as the letters from Krylor, Svartalfheim, and and Alfheim. The same accusations and request for Taka af Brúðr. However this part down here is different."

"What does it say?" Maisy asked, chin still held up haughtily.

"Surtur is making a request. He says: 'If the girl of fire and ash is victorious, regardless of if she is chosen by the prince, Muspelheim has a prize in mind. The prize we desire is that the girl of Midgard is given to Muspelheim when she loses. It is a fitting punishment for one who would seek to cheat at the game by getting to Asgard ahead of any other contestant.'"

"What?" Maisy dropped her holier-than-thou look and grabbed the letter, "What do they want me for?! Would Odin agree to this?"

"I think he might because he knows that I am not likely to accept a bride from Muspelheim, which would make Surtur furious normally. However, he's promised not to be upset at refusal if we hand you over to him. As I said before, Odin doesn't want to start a war over you."

"But I don't even know Surtur!"

"Which is why this seems an odd request," Loki took a turn at looking down his nose at her, "Surtur wouldn't care about you beyond the fact that our relationship gives everyone a chance at Taka af Brúðr. He certainly wouldn't care if you were punished or not. But if someone close to him suggested it…"

"You think that Egil-"

"I don't just think Egil suggested you be delivered to Muspelheim, I am fairly certain he is the one who spread the word of your arrival here and that he is the one to have reminded everyone of the rules of this stupid game."

"Why would he do that?"

Maisy's eyes were huge and she seemed to be close to believing him at this point.

"To get someone from Muspelheim near the throne of Asgard," Loki put a gentle hand on her shoulder, trying to look for all the worlds like a caring friend, "He may have had this in mind since he met you."

"No way! There is no way he could have made everything happen."

"He needed to get to know a Midgardian girl, learn her habits and the best way to get at her. Then he just needed to send the lindworm after her and if the lindworm couldn't get her to Asgard, well," Loki raised an eyebrow, "Isn't it handy that the prince of Asgard himself is on earth to begin with? Ready to take the poor girl to Asgard when the lindworm couldn't."

"But he can't have predicted that you and I-"

"No, but he didn't need to. All he needed to do was get a Midgardian girl to Asgard, spread a few rumors and Taka af Brúðr is on," Loki watched it all click into place in Maisy's mind with grim satisfaction. He had a feeling she believed what he and Thor were saying about her ex-boyfriend now. He didn't even need to bring up the fact that he thought Belison was spying on her through Linn's eyes.

He also neglected to let her know that even though Belison might have started this thing to get into Asgard, he was also using it as an excuse to get Maisy back. It should have been obvious from the letter, but now that Maisy believed she'd been used she seemed to have forgotten the part where Muspelheim was requesting she be given over to them. Better to let her deal with being a pawn than to make her think that Belison wanted her back for some reason. No need to start a love triangle.

Not that Loki was in love or anything crazy like that.

 **A note from the author: Sorry it has taken me a bit to get an update posted. Hopefully it was worth the wait! As I said before the plot might take some unconventional, rather absurd turns and this is where that starts to happen. However, it is fanfiction, is it not? We're all here to have a good time and that's what I intend to do even if it turns out to be crappy writing. :)**

 **Thanks again!**


	28. Chapter 28

"You aren't seriously considering this absurd notion, are you?" Loki asked, raised brow, arms crossed, and a pose like he didn't care one way or the other. It was the best stance when dealing with something he was extremely opinionated about, "I've already chosen a bride."

Odin was standing with his back to him as he gazed out his window, looking over the bustling cityscape. The bearded man hadn't said a word since Loki had entered the room. This was odd since Odin had been the one to request the meeting in the first place.

"And you know very well that if I'm forced to go through with this it won't be much of a contest," Loki continued when Odin remained silent, "There is no way I could choose Muspelheim or Svartalfheim. Krylor is too weak. We both know Maisy will lose. That leaves Alfheim. It isn't a competition, it will only show our enemies where our loyalties lie."

"Unless another realm sends word wishing to compete. Vanaheim, Jotunheim, and Nidavellir have said nothing so far. And there are many solar systems that may have interest."

"Nidavellir?" Loki laughed, "You think the dwarfs would care? The only ones who will be truly put out by a refusal are the people of Muspelheim - more specifically the king. Since when does the mighty Allfather bow to the whims of Surtur?"

"Though it took him some time it would seem Thor learned my advice. You never learn, do you?" Odin turned around and stared Loki down. Loki didn't let his face show his pain at hearing his father say that.

"And what advice," He swallowed and broke the stare, carelessly poking at some trinkets on Odin's desk, "Is that?"

"A wise king never seeks out war."

"You are the one who told me I was born to be a king. No one ever said I would be wise," Loki sneered.

"I know that you can be wise if you wish to be," Odin gripped the back of a chair and Loki noticed that one of his hands still wore a black glove, "But not all of us have the luxury to choose to be foolish."

If he still wore the glove then he must have sent out one of his ravens recently. The black birds often spied for Odin or ran errands. On occasion they even delivered the letters that he wrote.

"What did you do?" Loki's fists clenched and he took a threatening step toward his adoptive father, forgetting the guards that watched him from by the door.

"When the contest ends the Midgardian will have her wish. I will annul your marriage."

"You cannot do that!" Loki took another step and he heard the guards shift, "You cannot just leave her to die to appease Muspelheim!"

"She will not die," Odin declared, "Should she place well in Taka af Brúðr then you may choose her and it will be as if nothing changed. If she does poorly then this mockery of wedlock will end she will go to Surtur as he requested. She will not be pleased, but she will not be dead."

"You were not the one to officiate our marriage," Loki smirked, thinking to have found a loophole, "You cannot undo it and Thor will not."

"Thor will do what is best for Asgard as he has been taught to do since birth," Odin narrowed his good eye, "As _you_ were taught."

Loki clenched his fists so tightly that he could feel his fingernails cutting into his palms, but he did nothing more than give a stiff bow, spin on his heel, and leave. He could not argue against what was good for his kingdom, even if he did not sit on the throne.


	29. Chapter 29

If she had to spend another day in this room she thought she might do something crazy. Like make a rope out of the blankets and shimmy down the side of the building. Although, with the insanely tall and slick towers of the palace she didn't have high hopes of that accomplishing anything.

Since Loki had been summoned by Odin before dawn, Maisy was alone again. Ever since the king had returned her sketchbook to her she'd been trying to do a design a day and when she couldn't think of a design she simply did a sketch. However, now that she knew that Loki had gone through the drawings she didn't feel the least inclined to even doodle. And she tried. She held a pencil in her hand for almost an hour, searching her mind for something to draw, but everytime she would get close to putting graphite to paper she froze.

Loki burst back into the room, the rage rolling off him almost tangible. Maisy quickly stuffed her sketchbook back into her bag and picked up her embroidery instead.

Embroidery for the sake of itself was incredibly boring, she'd found the previous day, so she'd changed back into the black shirt and pants and begun to embroider the dress she'd made. Despite being made from curtains, it had actually turned out super cute. Styled much like a 1950's sundress, it was much easier to laze about in than a full length Asgardian gown. Now she was just adding some flower designs along the hem with some bright blue thread.

She tried to pretend like she was so absorbed in her work that she hadn't even noticed Loki come in. He didn't seem to care whether she noticed him or not and he went over to his desk and began riffling around for papers. After a few minutes of not finding what he wanted, Maisy felt him grab the back of her chair and tilt her back until she was looking up at him.

"It would appear you've tidied up my things," He snapped at her as she reached to grab the table edge frantically, "Help me find what I'm looking for."

"What are you looking for?" She replied, trying to right herself before he decided to let go of the chair and leave her on the floor.

"I had Thor bring back a Midgardian marriage license when he went to tell your family where you are."

"Really? Why?"

"I'll tell you once you find it for me," He returned her chair to an upright position and she set aside her work to step over to the desk, "Why did you take it upon yourself to organize anyway?"

"Sorry, I wanted to use the desk space," She said, "Because there is better light over here than by the table. So I tried to make room. Oh, here it is. It's the only thing with English letters on it. What are those symbols on all of the other papers?"

"The common language of Asgard. Your vikings used it too."

"But you speak English."

"No, most Asgardians use Allspeak. It is a language that is understood by all nationalities in their native tongue. Though, when I'm with you I generally do speak English anyway."

"Can you teach me Allspeak?" Maisy asked excitedly, "That sounds cool!"

"No. Sign this," He took up a pen to scribble down his own name, but Maisy covered the line he attempted to sign.

"Wait!"

"What?"

"I think we need a witness! And the officiant! Or it might not count," She picked up the document and looked it over a bit, "Actually, I think this is only applicable in the states. It says you need to send it in to some clerk or something before it counts as legal. I don't think we really need this unless we are married in the United States. Isn't there some sort of Asgardian equivalent?"

"Yes, and it is already filed away in the Hall of Records. I took care of it weeks ago."

"I didn't need to sign?"

"Nor did I. Just Thor because he is the only one who can undo it."

"So why did you get this Midgardian certificate?"

"I had hoped that if we were legally wed on your planet as well as mine that we might also have to go through Midgardian customs of divorce if Odin ever tried to force us to annul the marriage. I've heard the American legal system is painfully slow and I thought it might buy you some time."

"Yeesh!" Maisy looked at him, "You really have a lot of back up plans, don't you?"

"Unfortunately it seems this one has failed," He crumpled up the paper and threw it over his shoulder, "Blast!"

"Is Odin trying to make us get divorced?"

"Yes," Loki tiredly dropped into a chair and ran a hand through his hair, "And he's sent out the acceptance letters for Taka af Brúðr. When it is over, if you have not placed well enough, then we'll be divorced."

"So that's it?" Maisy's voice took on a tremor, "I'm dead. Or going to Muspelheim or whatever is going to happen to me?"

Loki looked at her carefully.

"Do you want that to be it? Do you want to give up so easily on this ridiculous marriage of necessity? I can't promise you'll have a better life stuck here as my wife than free on Midgard, but I do know that humans are not made for the harshness of Muspelheim."

"Well," She sat down and Loki could see that her hands are shaking, "I mean, you probably are glad to be rid of me. Don't deny it to spare my feelings."

"Don't be so sure," He reached over and took her hand with a small smile, "I'd rather be married to you than whatever terrifying girl Muspelheim sends."

"Oh don't flatter me," Maisy laughed briefly.

"Maisy," He squeezed her hand, "I know that we don't get along. We are far to different for this to ever be a typical marriage. But I at least know what to expect from you. And unless you are a far better actress than you claim, I'm certain that you are not here for any nefarious purposes. I don't know that the other realms won't send spies with the intent to harm Asgard."

"So what you're saying is," She finally met his gaze, "You'd rather not be married, but if you have to be then I'm your best option?"

"Probably not my _best_ option," He rolled his eyes, "But a decent pick."

"Thanks," She sighed, "But what can we do? Odin already said that you'd do the Taka af thingy and there is no way I'm going to be able to beat the other girls at the challenges. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not exactly coordinated."

"I think," Loki got that scheming look in his eyes, "It is about time you met Lady Sif."

 **A note from the author: I've just realized the amount of chapters this story may end up having. I have several (a lot) written in advance and I'm still writing more with no end in the near future. I hope it can stay interesting that long, but if not... well I'm having fun anyway. Hopefully you will be too!**

 **Thank you ever so much for reading and for following and for favoriting! I would greatly appreciate it if you continued to do so as well as, perhaps, leaving a review.**

 **Have a lovely day!**


	30. Chapter 30

"The tradition of Taka af Brúðr is a chance for all of the realms to show off their strength, cunning, and strategy," A regal voice said as Loki lead Maisy into the arena. Maisy gaped, thoroughly impressed, as the owner of that voice dispatched the man she was sparring with in a few seconds. The dark haired woman turned to look at her and raised an eyebrow, "Midgard is not known for any of those things."

"Sif!" Loki smiled, arms thrown wide in greeting, "How good it is to see you!"

The woman ignored him, walking past him as if he wasn't even there. She approached Maisy and held out her hand. Maisy went to shake it, but found the other woman putting a dagger in her hand instead.

"I believe this is the weapon of your household," Sif said coldly, "We shall train with that first."

"Okay!" Maisy stood straighter, "How do I hold it? What's the best grip?"

"That depends on what you want to do with it-" Loki started, moving closer and reaching out to show Maisy what to do. He was stopped as a long blade extended across his path, nearly slicing his neck.

"She is eager to learn," Sif smiled for the first time, at Maisy, "I am glad to teach her, but I will not have you interfering."

"Whyever not?" Loki glared, "Last I checked I am still more proficient with this weapon than you are."

"Ah, but teaching a girl to throw a knife is such a grand excuse to wrap your arms around her and then all concentration and focus are lost," Sif lowered her blade and winked at Maisy, "And we don't need to waste time."

"You sound as if you speak from experience," Loki sneered, arms crossed, "No fond memories of our own lessons together, Sif?"

"I would advise you stop your tongue wagging before I cut it off."

Maisy looked back and forth between the two. Clearly there was some history there, but it seemed like Sif loathed Loki for some reason or another. Not that Maisy would have been jealous anyways or anything crazy like that. She didn't have time to dwell on it because Sif banished Loki to the sidelines and began teaching her how to hold a knife and then how to attack with a knife. Hours passed by and slowly a crowd began to form to watch the two women training. Maisy could almost feel their judgement on her skin, but she persisted.

"Is she attempting to prove that Midgardians truly are the weakest race?"

It was Drin's voice and Maisy missed a step as Sif was showing her how to jab under someone's rib cage and puncture a heart. The warrior noticed Maisy's falter and put a calming hand on her shoulder.

"Don't listen to him. There will be many like him in the audience during Taka af Brúðr."

"Sorry," Maisy winced.

"It is alright. It is your first day and you've never done anything like this before," Sif looked toward Drin, who waved mockingly at her, "Normally I would not waste my breath on threatening you, boy, but if you continue to disrupt our training then I will not hesitate to cut off your hand… or something you might value a bit more."

Maisy snorted and covered her smile. Drin glared, but eventually he and some of the other young men he'd brought with him walked off. When they were gone Loki smirked.

"Thank you, Sif," He said, "I was getting tired of the intense aroma of stupidity that follows him around."

Maisy noticed that Fandral and two other men had entered the small training area and were watching as well. They were sitting close enough to Loki that Maisy wondered if they might have been friends.

"Might I say," Said one of the men with a huge red beard and a leg of turkey in his hand, "That for her first day, Ms. Sichore is doing fabulously? I am most impressed!"

"As I told you," Fandral patted the other man on the back, "Our trickster prince has chosen a stunning bride for himself!"

Loki rolled his eyes, but Maisy couldn't help a smile.

"You did not tell us!" The bearded man boomed, "Hogun and I were there for the wedding, right Hogun?"

The serious man next to him nodded, not saying a word.

"Ah, but this is your first time meeting her when she is not covered in blood and unconscious, Volstagg!"

"True, but the moment I heard she'd taken on a lindworm I knew she had a fiery spirit in her!" Volstagg winked merrily at Maisy, "My bet is that she will blow away the other competition, claim her man, and turn his stone heart back to flesh!"

"Oh don't talk of miracles!" Loki smirked, leaning back on the bench he sat on.

"I would appreciate it if none of you spoke at all!" Sif snapped at them, but she was smiling too, "Maisy does not have long to learn all of the things I must teach her."

"Then allow us to help!" Volstagg picked up a battle ax that had been sitting by his side, "Train her with something bigger! Then it doesn't matter if she can gut someone gracefully, she can lop his head off! Haha!"

"I agree! Let's put a hammer or a mace in her hands instead of those dinky daggers!" Fandral hoisted his sword high. Hogun somewhat reluctantly held up a spiked mace and nodded.

"Don't waste time on the subtle attack," He said, voice low and raspy.

"And this is precisely why Loki brought her to me," Sif said, "You are men, you take your physical strength for granted."

"Lady Sif!" Fandral exclaimed, "You are as strong as any of us, if not stronger!"

"Yes, I am. But I had to work harder and longer than any of you. We do not have time to condition Maisy's muscles to hold a hammer."

The three men looked at each other, evidently they hadn't considered that.

"She's right," Loki said, "Maisy will not be sparring with men, she'll be sparring with other women. And no one knows how to fight a woman better than, well, another woman."

The men sat down and shut up after that and Maisy got in two more hours of basic knife training. By the time she was done, she was exhausted and could barely move. Sif, who'd been doing all of the same movements along with her, still seemed ready to do more, but Loki stepped in.

"Midgardians do not have the same stamina as we do," He reminded, linking his arm with Maisy's sweaty one, "We'll meet you back here tomorrow."

"You have done well Maisy Sichore," Sif grinned, "I look forward to our next session."

The female warrior departed, but the men followed Loki and Maisy as they walked, jabbering all the while. Volstagg seemed only to care about food and he seemed eager to steer everyone in the direction of the feasting hall. Maisy wondered if she'd be allowed there now that Odin's plans for her had changed. There was no point in getting the people acquainted with her if she was just going to be leaving at the end of the contest.

"But truly, Loki," Fandral said, "You must let us help train Maisy."

"And why must I do that?"

"Because we have more to offer than our brute strength!" Volstagg had begun munching on a loaf of bread that seemed to appear from thin air, "We can help with strategy and cunning too!"

"I think I've more than got that covered, thanks," Loki rolled his eyes as if the request were totally insane.

"Hang on a minute," Maisy turned to Volstagg and offered her hand to shake, "Nice to meet you by the way. I don't see why they can't help. It would provide a chance for me to hear more than one perspective on strategy, which would be good, right?"

Loki looked offended by this.

"But I am the best strategist out of all of us!"

"If you are so incredibly smart then you should have realized something," Fandral pointed out.

"What is that?"

"Your strategies are dishonorable," Hogun replied stoically.

"What do you mean?" Loki hissed, eyes narrowed, "Have my plans not saved all of your necks more than once?"

"Yes, but that is during real battle," Volstagg put a huge hand on Loki's shoulder, "All is fair in love and war, as the Midgardians say, but this isn't war and Taka af Brúðr is a mockery of love."

"Underhanded and sneaky will lose her points. She must be bold and brave!" Fandral said, "You know, we should just have Thor teach her. He was taught the same as you, and his plans are generally honorable."

"Last time Thor had a grand plan it was breaking me out of prison and committing treason. At least my plans have never technically been treasonous," Loki pouted, "I don't think Maisy-"

"Well Maisy thinks that Maisy should learn from multiple teachers," Maisy piped up, "And since it's Maisy's neck on the line here… I think you should listen to her."

"Oh alright, fine!" Loki huffed, marching off.

"We know who wears the trousers in this relationship," Fandral whispered and Maisy laughed, "It's nice to have someone else who can reign him in besides Thor. It will do him good."

 **A note from the author: Thank you ever so much to ferbette, any de magaa, Lwolf, the guest reviewer, and nina del carmen! Your reviews were much appreciated! :)**

 **Thanks to everyone for reading and following and favoriting!**


	31. Chapter 31

**A note from the author: Just to warn you: this chapter isn't really much more than fluff. Like I said, this story might get a little long and odd, but it's all written in the spirit of fun so I hope you enjoy it! :)**

With her days filled with combat training with Sif and her evenings filled with strategy training with either Loki or whichever of the Warriors Three was available, Maisy barely noticed the time passing. Though, Loki frequently complained that the month was dragging on and that Thor needed to hurry up and get back so people would be polite again. Maisy assumed that was because his days were more boring than hers. He'd been kicked out of the laundry room, as Madame Veru had promised he would be with more than two absences, and now worked in the palace's large private garden. Weeding was not exciting business, evidently.

One day Loki came home and his face has an ashy blue tint to it. Maisy wondered if it was some kind of dirt or something because it wasn't fading. It was only when he happened to touch his face and hiss in pain that she realized what it was.

"That must be a really bad sunburn for it to turn blue!" She exclaimed from her nest, where she was reading a book on great Asgardian battles.

"What?" Loki looked up from his own book, which was about teaching strategy to children.

"Your face is a weird kind of blue-ish gray, dude. Must be an Asgardian thing. You got any aloe vera you can put on it?"

Loki gave her a weird look, got up, and went into the bathroom.

"Norns! What in the nine realms is this?!" Maisy heard him exclaim. She got up and went into the bathroom as well, where he was gingerly pulling his skin in different directions.

"When humans get a sunburn our faces turn red. I guess Asgardians turn kind of a steel blue… you know, maybe it's more of a slate color. Yeah, definitely a slate. I made a suit out of a slate-blue fabric for my final project last semester."

"Asgardians do not get sunburned," Loki replied irritably, and then his eyes widened in realization and he swore, " _Asgardians_ don't get sunburned."

"Apparently they do, because I'm pretty sure-"

"Be quiet a moment," Loki snapped, still gaping at his face, "How am I going to hide this? Odin has taken my magic from me and I am left with no means of disguising my, my…" He waved his hand at his reflection, "Disfigurement!"

"Don't worry," Maisy shrugged, "It will go away in a few days. Just be more careful when you go out in the sun tomorrow. Wear sunscreen."

"Maisy," He turned and looked at her and she tried not to laugh at the peculiar sight of him looking less than dignified, "You don't understand. I'm not, I can't… Asgardians don't, but it's not like I, well..."

He seemed to be struggling with finding a way to make her understand. It dawned on Maisy that if it wasn't a difficult explanation for him then he would have told her already. There was something he wanted to keep a secret, but it had something to do with his sunburn so he couldn't tell her why it was such a big deal.

"Don't sweat it," She left the bathroom and went over to her nest, unearthing her backpack. She was still peeved that Odin hadn't returned her cell phone, which was dead by this point anyway, but some of the other items she had with her were nice reminders of home. She also had many of her necessities in the bag, which was all the more reason to keep it hidden in her pile of blankets or stashed under the bed when anyone was around.

"Here," She pulled out her cosmetic pouch and handed him the concealer, "We've got pretty similar skin tones when you aren't burnt so this shouldn't look too weird. Normally to hide a sunburn I'd use green concealer because it hides the red better, but I think this will work with the blue."

"What is it?" Loki opened it a sniffed.

"Um… a Midgardian disguise potion."

"If it is meant to disguise you then shouldn't it be a different tone than your own skin color?"

"Well, yeah, I guess, but this layer is more for hiding blemishes and stuff."

"It's a cosmetic, isn't it?" Loki asked, crossing his arms.

"Yes, but it will hide your sunburn, I promise!"

He looked dubious so Maisy grabbed it out of his hand and took out the wand. She swatched some on her own face.

"See? It won't kill you," Before he could object she smeared some on his face, "Oh yeah! This is the perfect shade. I wish I had some aloe to put on your skin first, we don't want to irritate the burn further, but this should work for hiding the burn."

"Fine," Loki grumbled, "But only when I need to leave the room. And don't expect me to leave the room often with this mutilation!"

"Mutilation!" Maisy giggled, "Don't be so dramatic! It's just a sunburn."

"You had better be right about it only lasting a little while!"

"If it's such a big deal," She said more gently, "Ask Odin to transfer you to another job. You're bound to get plenty of sunburns working outside all day."

"When he is so mad at me already? I don't think so."

Maisy shrugged. She supposed if he got tired of putting on makeup everyday then he would eventually ask for a transfer. Until then, she didn't want to waste time arguing with him when she still had so much to learn before Taka af Brúðr.

* * *

"Hey, um, could you tell me where Loki is?" Maisy nervously asked one of the gardeners, who was stooped over a patch of vegetables. The vegetables were unidentifiable as anything from earth.

"The traitor prince?" The gardner asked, straightening up and wiping off his brow, "Yeah, he's in the dokka patch."

"Where's that?" Maisy asked. She wanted to ask what dokka was, but it looked like the gardener was irritated at her for disrupting his work so she didn't want to push his helpfulness.

"Let me show you," He sighed, leading the way. He left her at a patch of plants where Loki was yanking up weeds and looking positively ticked about it. Though they'd covered the sunburn on his face, Maisy noticed that the back of his hands were looking bit blue. He was wearing one of the light, flowy, long sleeve shirts that all of the gardeners wore, but Maisy had never seen it before so he must keep it in the garden shed. He had never looked so sweaty, tired, and completely out of his league and for some reason that cheered Maisy.

It was nice to see the suave and cunning Loki, destroyer of New York, trickster god, and all around put together guy, struggling with something. It made him less frightening and much less intimidating.

"I was going to give this to you tonight, but I thought it might be better now," She said, walking up to him and holding out her gift.

He looked up and his eyes flashed with something that almost looked like embarrassment. Then he looked to the floppy thing in her hand and raised a brow.

"What is that?"

"It's a sun hat!" She grinned, putting it on her own head to show it off, "Linn brought me the cotton fabric and I made it! It looks kind of crappy because I've never made a hat before, but it should work just fine!"

"What are those bits?" He pointed to long tendrils that bobbed about when she moved.

"Oh! Ha, um," She blushed, "I thought it would be funny to include the horns."

"The horns?"

"You know," She struck a pose, "I am Loki of Asgard, kneel! Or whatever it was you said in Germany. I saw it on the news, but it was a while ago. Erm, what do you think?"

Loki took in the ridiculousness of the cotton thing on her head, with the horns that were facing the wrong way and the stupid shiny, green trim around the edge. Then he looked at the eager smile on her face and he couldn't help but smile back.

"I think it's absolutely hideous," He stood up and snatched it off her head and put it on his own, "But if it will keep the sun off of me then I will wear it with pride."

"Really? Great!" Her grin widened, "I also uncovered some sunscreen in the bottom of my bag, so you can put it on your hands if you want! I forgot to bring it with me, but for tomorrow you can use it."

"Excellent," He reached out and squeezed her hand, "Thank you, Maisy. I really do appreciate it."

"Yeah, sure, no problem," She blushed, "I've gotta go though, Sif is going to teach me how to throw knives today!"

"Really?" Loki felt a twinge jealous that he didn't get to teach her one of his favorite skills, "Ask Sif to show you the no-spin technique, it doesn't require as much precision and you don't have to worry about measuring distance."

"Okay, I will," She pulled her hand out of his, absently playing with the hem of her earth-styles dress, "Oh, and Volstagg asked me to ask you if you could come to my training session with him tonight."

"Why? What is he teaching you?"

"He wants me to practice spotting illusions in case any of the other contestants use magic," She frowned a little, "I told him that you couldn't use your magic - I hope that's okay - but he said to bring you anyway."

"Very well," He wiped the sweat off his brow, "I shall see you then."

They lingered awkwardly for a moment, until another gardener turned to look at them.

"Oh just kiss already, will ya?"

That sent Maisy scurrying away with a hasty goodbye and Loki rolled his eyes and got back to work. He noticed an immediate difference now that the hat blocked the sun from his face and eyes and he worked much faster. He'd have to remember to thank Maisy later by way of some favor or gift. Even though the hat was truly ugly, he couldn't help but like it, and not just because of its usefulness.


	32. Chapter 32

"When attempting to spot an illusion," Volstagg said, eating some cheese, "One should always be aware of one's surroundings. It does no good to figure out that you are staring at a fake when the real one is sneaking up behind you with a knife."

He sent a pointed look at Loki before continuing.

"No matter the situation, take a moment to assess it before stepping in. The whole scenario could be fraudulent and a trap," He bit off another big piece of cheese and his words became indistinguishable from each other.

"Um…" Maisy, who was taking notes, didn't know what to write.

"To summarize, he is saying that you need to take a careful look at the big picture. Stop and consider if what you are seeing is a likely event, if it is possible, and if there is anything that seems unnatural," Loki said, "Of course, a true master of deception will take all of this into account as well to make their illusion as true to life as possible and as probable as possible."

"So think before you leap?"

"Precisely!" Volstagg applauded, "But, when faced with an actual illusion, we must first show you exactly that."

"I hope you aren't expecting me to do something," Loki crossed his arms, "As Maisy has already told you, I am unable to use magic at the moment."

"No worries," Volstagg said as Fandral walked into the room, "Your tricks are not a great way for beginners to learn in any case. Far too advanced."

"But mine are pathetic," Fandral flicked his wrist and a double of himself stood next to him, except the double was glowing a little and was somehow more handsome in an unrealistic way, "So it will be good to teach you the basics."

"When did you learn to do that?" Loki asked skeptically.

"When Sif made the comment that the other young ladies participating might be dirty cheats!" Fandral said, "So three days ago. And I do not need critiquing, thank you very much."

"I would never criticize," Loki smirked, "Particularly because I know even I cannot help that sad excuse of a double."

"The first thing you need to look for when spotting a double is the shiny aura that will occasionally surround it," Volstagg said, "It is not hard to find here, obviously, but even Loki's have the faintest glow to them when viewed in a dark atmosphere."

"Okay, glow, got it."

"You must also keep an eye out for even the slightest differences between the double and the real deal," Volstagg pointed at the illusion's nose, "See, this is much better than the original, much more of a charming feature."

"How rude!" Fandral exclaimed.

"Of course, this will mean that you have to study your competition carefully so that you can spot a difference if there is one."

"Got it," Maisy scratched out some more notes, "If I had my phone I could just take pictures of them for comparison, but I don't see Odin giving it back anytime soon and I haven't seen any outlets around this place to charge it anyway."

"The third thing you must look for is a shadow," Volstagg pointed to the ground and the significant lack of shadow, "Some illusionists forget to create one and their illusions won't cast one."

Fandral flicked his wrist again and the double had a shadow, but it was much darker than a shadow ought to be. Maisy made note of this too. It seemed that the colors and shades of the illusions were completely in their creator's hands, so that might be a good way to take notice of them too.

Volstagg and Fandral continued the lesson with several more illusions and Loki made comments throughout, which his former friends thanked him for, much to his surprise. He'd thought they'd discredit his opinion now that things were tense between them, but they seemed to be wise enough to recall that, regardless of their feelings for him, his knowledge was valuable for helping Maisy.

As Volstagg pointed out, they spent so long on the subject that they missed dinner. By the time they were done Maisy was just about falling asleep on her notes, but she was well versed in spotting illusions. When they left the library where Volstagg had decided to teach, they bumped into Linn in the hallway and she looked excited.

"You guys ain't gonna believe this!" She grinned at them, "But guess who's here!"

"Has he come back at last?" Loki asked, "I was beginning to think that he was going to abandon us."

"Who you talking about?"

"Thor, of course."

"Oh, yeah, well he's here too. But guess who he brought with him!" Linn squealed, grabbing Maisy's hand and practically hopping up and down.

"Who?" The other girl asked, "Please don't say my family because I will hide forever if that's the case."

"Course not!" Linn began pulling them toward the throne room, "He brought Jane freaking Foster!"

"Ugh, really?" Loki rolled his eyes, "Is Thor announcing his engagement or something?"

"Nope, don't think so. But he told me to get Maisy and you and bring you to meet her!"

"I have already, thanks," Loki started to turn off course, grabbing Maisy's other arm and pulling her with him, but Lin kept trying to take her to the throne room.

"Whoa! Guys, this isn't tug-o-war!" She yelped, "Loki, let go, I want to go meet Jane Foster."

"Really? Why?"

"Course she wants to meet Jane Foster!" Linn looked stunned at Loki's comment, "Who wouldn't? She's a super smarty, she's gorgeous, she's nice, she's wonderful, and, well, she's Thor's girlfriend!"

"If you want to enjoy all of those qualities bar the last one, you can just come back to our room, have dinner with us, and gawk at Maisy for an hour or two," Loki gave Maisy's arm another tug.

"Oh my gosh!" Linn shrieked in excitement, "You hear that Maisy?"

"What?"

"He called you smarty, gorgeous, nice, and wonderful!"

"Oh calm down," Loki snapped, "She's my wife isn't she?"

Maisy's eyes widened and she shook her head warningly, but Linn had caught it and dropped Maisy's hand in shock.

"She's," Linn gulped for air, "Your. Wife?!"

"Did I say wife?" Loki chuckled awkwardly, "I meant intended. Or girlfriend or whatever."

" _She's your wife?!_ " Linn's grin was so big Loki thought it might split her face in two, "And you guys didn't tell me you got married! Oh my gosh, wait until I tell the other girls! They are gonna lose their minds!"

"Calm down, calm down!" Maisy whispered, "It's a secret okay? You can't tell anyone!"

"What? Why?"

"We'll explain it to you later," Loki sighed, "But if you consider yourself our friend then you will do your utmost to keep it quiet, understood?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die," Linn crossed her heart, "I won't tell a soul!"

"Good. Now take us to Jane Foster and we'll get this over with," Loki rubbed his forehead tiredly, smearing the concealer a bit. Maisy quickly touched it up when Linn turned away and they all continued on to the throne room.

 **A note from the author: thank you for reading and thank you to ferbette and the guest reviewer for reviewing! :)**


	33. Chapter 33

The moment Jane Foster laid eyes on Maisy she strode over to her and offered her hand to shake. When Maisy shook it, Jane pulled her into a hug.

"Thor told me everything," She whispered, "I'm here for you if you need me."

"Thanks," Maisy said, "I appreciate it."

The separated and Maisy noticed that Jane had a concerned look in her eyes. It disappeared when she smiled.

"So great to meet you, Ms. Sichore!"

"And you, Dr. Foster! Thor talks about you all the time, it's awesome to put a face to the name!"

"Call me Jane."

"Then call me Maisy."

"Call me bored," Loki muttered from nearby. He looked at Jane with a small smirk, "A pleasure to see you again."

"Yeah, whatever," Jane barely glanced at him before taking Maisy aside. They began chatting together about the trials of being in a relationship with an Asgardian. Loki and Thor gaped at them as they griped away.

"And the hair!" Jane snickered, "It gets everywhere!"

"I know, right?" Maisy laughed too, "I thought my own hair was bad, but at least mine is light colored. I can see his everywhere! What about snoring? Does yours snore?"

"Why do you think they call him the thunderer?"

Both women broke into laughter.

"Are they talking about us?" Thor asked as he watched the women go out into the hall.

"Told you that you snore," Loki replied, "Welcome back."

"How are things here? Have you and Ms. Sichore gotten along any better?"

"We have been united in our distaste for Odin," Loki crossed his arms and glared at the empty throne in the room. Odin hadn't shown up to greet his favorite son, claiming he had to take care of communications with the other realms.

"Has Father truly been so horrible while I've been away? Or is this bitterness speaking?"

"He took away my magic. He accused Maisy of being a spy. Then he blamed her for alerting the other realms to her existence. And _then_ he accepted the requests for Taka af Brúðr and when Maisy loses he plans to make you annul our marriage."

"What? No! I won't do it, do not fear. You shall not have to take some strange wife… again."

"No, when Maisy loses, you will divorce us," Loki sighed, "For the good of Asgard."

"How can that possibly be for the good of Asgard?"

"Because of the contest, Thor. Muspelheim wishes to compete. They also wish to claim Maisy as their prize when they win and Odin doesn't want to go to war over a Midgardian."

"Egil Belison must be behind this!" Thor growled, "Why else would they care what happens to Maisy?"

"That is my line of thought as well," Loki looked at his brother coldly, "But what are we to do about it?"

"If I get my hands on Belison he will rue the day he sent a lindworm to Midgard - no, he'll rue the day he set foot on Midgard - no! He'll rue the day that he got the idea to set foot on-"

"Calm down. There is nothing that we can do. Maisy has been training with Sif and the Warriors Three. They think she stands a chance to at least come in third, which is all she would need to do, but I am not so sure."

"She will prevail," Thor stated, "We can help her win!"

"Neither of you will interfere," Odin said as he walked in, "It speaks of favoritism toward Midgard."

"Father," Thor bowed.

"Welcome back, my son," The king nodded.

"Father, why can't we help Maisy? She is of our family, of Asgard now!"

"Because the other contestants already accuse her of scheming. Should you help her in any way then they will call for her blood to be spilled and I do not think either of you wishes to see that."

"Did you truly agree to hand her over to Surtur?" Thor demanded, "Surtur, a sworn enemy of Asgard?"

"I did, in exchange for another thousand years of peace in the realms. I do not think even you can protest to sacrificing one small Midgardian for that," Odin walked past them and sat on his throne, staring down at them, "And if you do then perhaps you ought to reconsider where your loyalties lie. With Asgard or with the humans."

"Father-"

"I see you have brought Jane Foster to us once more. For what reason?"

"I told her of Maisy's predicament and she wished to come and provide comfort."

"She may stay until the end of Taka af Brúðr and then she must return to her own realm. I will not have Asgard overrun by Midgardians seeking more knowledge than they are prepared for," Odin sneered in an unkingly fashion, "I will be glad to have these goats driven from my halls."

Thor flinched at this and looked ready to shout and yell, but Loki grabbed his arm and held him back. Both princes bowed and excused themselves to catch up with Jane and Maisy.

 **A note from the author: Thank you ever so much for all of the favorites and follows. I truly to appreciate it. I especially appreciate reviews, such as the ones I received from Lwolf and ferbette! Thank you for reading! Hopefully you found it entertaining! :)**


	34. Chapter 34

"Jane, there is someone you have to meet," Maisy said as they walked into the laundry room, "She's a big fan of yours!"

"How? I've only been here once!"

"Word gets around, and you _are_ dating the crown prince."

After dropping Maisy and Loki off at the throne room, Linn had needed to get back to work, lest she get fired. She'd been immensely disappointed to only catch a glimpse of Jane, but she didn't want to get booted out. When she heard Maisy's voice coming closer to her, she stood up, dropping the shirt she'd been folding and squealed in delight.

"Jane, meet Linn. Linn, this is Jane Foster."

"Hi, nice to meet you-"

"Oh my gosh!" Linn said, shaking Jane's hand enthusiastically, "You're Jane Foster! You're Jane Foster!"

"I am," Jane smiled.

"From what I've been hearing, you know, wit all the gossip dat flies around this place, you are, like, one of the smartest Midgardians, like, in the history of forever!"

"I don't know about that-"

"I do!" Linn was still shaking her hand, "I am so pleased to meet you!"

"Thanks, I'm pleased to meet you too."

"Oh my gosh, Maisy, look at her! Isn't she just the prettiest?" Linn looked at Maisy, "You are too, course, but wow!"

"Aw, thank you-"

"Wow, wow, wow! I cannot believe I get to meet Jane Foster!"

"This is pretty exciting for me too!" Jane said, "Can I ask you what that machine is over there? Don't tell me it washes clothes."

"It doesn't just wash them! It fixes them up too! Got no idea how it works, but I could get you to one of the repair mans. He'd tell you about everyfing in this building!"

"Really? That would awesome!"

The two gushed over each other for a bit and Maisy suggested that they have a sleepover in her room when Linn got off work so that they could all get to know each other better.

"I'm sure Loki won't mind. He can sleep in the library or something!" Maisy said, "Ooh! I should invite Sif too! She's awesome!"

"Lady Sif?" Jane asked.

"Yeah! She's great, you'll love her!"

"Great!"

"And maybe," Linn whispered to them, "Maisy can explain how the heck she and Loki are married and she didn't tell me!"

This issue was really bothering Linn for some reason. She wanted to be happy about it, she wasn't even bummed that they hadn't told her that they'd gotten married. However, something in her kept telling her that they were wrong for each other. That they needed to be separated at all costs. That same part of her was red hot with anger that they had gotten married and she wanted to scream about it and rage and stab Loki or something. But she knew that wasn't her so she pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind and tried her hardest to be happy for them. Because she was. She knew she was, she just had to convince herself.

* * *

After a bit of arguing with Odin, a tad bit of yelling with Thor, on top of his already long day of gardening, Loki made his way back to his room. He was tired from a hard day's work, cranky, and ready for bed. He didn't care if Maisy was still up or if she wanted to talk. He was going to faceplant on his bed and feign death until morning.

At least, that was the plan until he heard shrieking from behind his door. Fearing an assassination attempt or another lindworm attack, Loki grabbed a dagger from his belt and got into a fighting stance before throwing open the door. The shrieking abruptly stopped and Loki had to take a moment to blink and process what his eyes were seeing.

Jane Foster, Linn, Sif, and Maisy were all sitting on the bed in their nightclothes, applying some sort of paint to their fingernails. The most startling part was the fact that they all had some sort of green war paint smeared across their faces.

"Look away!" Sif snapped at him, "We are not decent!"

"We're just in our pajamas," Jane commented.

"Oh no! He's seen me in me jammies!" Linn grabbed the blanket and pulled it over her, effectively knocking over everything that was sitting on top of the blanket, including a bowl of snacks and the bottle of finger paint, "I didn't fink me face could get any pinker than it already was!"

"It's fine guys! He sees my pjs all the time!"

"Yeah, duh," Linn said from under the covers, "He's your spouse-person!"

Three out of four of the females burst into giggles, with Maisy turning a shade to rival Linn as she stuttered out phrases like "it isn't like that" and "that's not what I meant" and "way to turn things awkward".

"Can someone please tell me what is going on?!" Loki snapped.

"It's a slumber party!" Maisy grinned, looking relieved to change the subject.

"A what?"

"You know, a sleepover?"

"Why would they sleep here? They have rooms of their own."

"Because it's fun!" Linn said, poking her head out, "Me mum always talked about slumber parties!"

"I do not understand."

"It's a chance for girls to get together, have fun, relax, do stupid stuff, and be themselves," Maisy stated, chin raised.

"Not to mention talk about boys!"

"Linn!"

"Well we were!"

"But the boys don't get to know that!" Jane giggled.

"I will not stand for this," Loki stated, hooking his dagger back onto his belt and crossing his arms, "Get out of my chambers before I call the guards on the lot of you."

"Oh please," Sif crossed her own arms, "What would the guards do? Maisy belongs here. Jane is an honored guest. We won't let them touch Linn. And the guards wet their pants at the mere sight of my sword."

"Then I'll tell Thor!"

"He already knows," Maisy grinned, "Otherwise he would have been worried about Jane."

"And what if I say that I intend to sleep here regardless of what you nitwits are doing?"

"Believe me, you don't want to fall asleep first at a slumber party," Jane warned, "Warm water, shaving cream, undies in the freezer!"

Loki didn't know what any of that meant, but it sounded like pranks. The god of tricks and lies was not about to get pranked at a sleepover. So he gave them his best intimidating glare, grabbed his own sleepwear from the wardrobe, and then yanked the blanket out from under them, causing all of them except the ever graceful Sif to topple over.

"Very well, if you need me I'll be in the library. Do not tell Odin."

"Do I look like I want to die?" Maisy snorted in response.

"You are all a bunch of fools!" He snarled at them, "Goodnight!"

"Goodnight!" They sung.

"If you get lonely we can always send Maisy over!" Linn snickered before Maisy punched her in the arm.

Loki rolled his eyes and stormed out of the room toward the library.

 **A note from the author: so, I'm getting the vibe that you all hate Odin. Which is exactly what I was going for! Hooray! There is plenty more of his annoyingness to come, I promise!**

 **Thank you so much to ferbette, , and lovindapeace for the reviews! They made my day! :D**

 **Just to let you guys know, I do have a Deviant Art account under the same username that I use here. I am, by no means, an artist, bu I use one of those dress up game things to make decent depictions of some of my OCs so if you want to check it out, that'd be cool! :)**

 **Thank you, loves!**


	35. Chapter 35

The next morning the door made a loud bang when it hit the wall from being thrown open with such force. Sif was on her feet, sword in hand faster than anyone could see. Then Jane sat up, then Maisy. Linn snored on regardless, probably because the older women had let her sleep in the bed while they took various spots on the floor or on the sofa.

"He's coming!" Loki exclaimed, bursting into the room, "Get up! Everyone get up!"

"Who is coming?" Sif asked.

"Odin! Thor woke me up a few moments ago to warn me!"

"Odin's coming?!" Maisy yelped, grabbing some clothes and darting to the bathroom to get dressed, "Crap! Why's he coming?"

"Thor didn't say why," Loki called through the bathroom door, "Just that he is!"

"Should we get out of here?" Jane asked, grabbing her own clothes and going to stand by the bathroom door to wait for Maisy to finish.

"No, he'll see you in the hallway. Hide on the balcony!" Loki threw open the doors and ushered Sif and Jane out. Then he noticed that Linn was still sleeping and grumbled irritably, "Honestly, she sleeps like a boulder!"

"Is this okay?" Maisy stepped out of the bathroom wearing one of the red dresses Veru had given her, "Or will he freak out because of the color?"

"It's fine!" Loki snapped, going over to Linn and trying to shake her awake. When she only murmured that he should let her sleep he picked her up and carried her out to the balcony, depositing her in Sif's arms, "Blast! We don't have curtains anymore to hide the balcony!"

"Sorry!" Maisy said, collecting a sheet and tossing it over the curtain rod, "Maybe this will work!"

The door slammed open once more and Maisy involuntarily screamed before seeing that it was Thor. The crown prince saw that they were attempting to hide the balcony and went over to help put the sheet up. They were all so focused on their task that they didn't hear Odin silently step in a few seconds after Thor. The king of Asgard watched them in stony silence for a moment before they turned around and Maisy screamed again.

"Father!" Thor smiled as Loki clapped a hand over Maisy's mouth, "Good morning!"

"What you brings to us house?" Maisy said, removing Loki's hand and then realizing what she said, "I mean, what brings you to our humble home?"

"Do not forget that it will not be your home much longer, Ms. Sichore," Odin said, "I come with news from the realms."

"Oh?"

"The suggestion of Taka af Brúðr has elicited response from all those who care to listen to Asgard," Odin looked weary and the most unkingly Maisy had ever seen him. He sat down at the table, "Many have refused it, saying it is an old and foolish tradition. Others have refused it because they do not care for the prize."

Loki smirked at this, but Thor elbowed him.

"And still, there are enough who wish for it to go on that we must open our doors to them and allow the tradition to run its course. Taka af Brúðr commences in one week's time."

"What?! You cannot be serious!"

"Brother, control yourself," Thor chided, "There is nothing to be done."

"A week?" Maisy looked pale, "But I'm not ready!"

"You will never be ready," Odin snapped at her childish reply, "In one week we will play hosts to Alfheim, Krylor, Svartalfheim-"

Loki and Thor hissed in unison.

"Muspelheim, Midgard, and the Kree."

"Oh not the Kree!" Loki groaned, "Didn't you hear what Ronan the Accuser did to Xandar?"

"He is one fanatic. He won't be there if that is what worries you."

"Have you heard of what the Kree - as a collective - did to Midgard?"

" _I_ haven't," Maisy said, "What did they do?"

"Have you heard the term 'Inhumans' flung around lately?" Loki asked her.

"Yeah, their kind of like mutants, right?"

"In a way. But their powers are alien, given to them by the Kree for whatever insane purpose they have in mind. But they integrated it so long ago - by earth years - that anyone from your planet could posses the Inhuman traits. You could be an Inhuman!"

"Weird," Maisy looked uncomfortable about this.

"And the Kree know that you could be susceptible to their Terrigen Mist so they may try it on you. If it works and you turn into an Inhuman they might claim you as their own even if their contestant loses."

"What happens if I don't turn into an Inhuman?"

"Well, if they use the mist then nothing," Loki shrugged, "But if they use the Diviner Obelisk then you'll turn into a rock, basically."

"What?!" Maisy turned to Thor for confirmation and he nodded, "Can we tell the Kree that they can't come?"

"On what grounds?" Odin snapped.

"On the grounds that I don't want to be a rock!"

"All of the contestants will have Asgardian protection from all of the other contestants. You will be safe," Odin sounded like this was a terrible inconvenience, "And the Kree are coming."

"Well at least the Skrull won't be there," Loki sighed, rubbing his forehead. He then looked to Odin, "The Skrull _won't_ be there, right?"

"I am not a fool, though you may think me one, Loki."

"Good."

"We did not even send them an invitation. We have enough problems with people changing their appearance," Odin narrowed his eyes at his second son, "To invite shape shifters here."

"So we have a week to prepare?" Thor asked.

"Yes," Odin stood up, "But remember that both princes are forbidden to assist Maisy in any way. I will not have the other participants accusing you of favoritism."

"Need they accuse when it is plainly true?" Loki sneered.

Odin gave one last grouchy, holier-than-thou look and then turned to go. Before he could make it out the door Maisy stopped him.

"Um, Allfather?" She asked timidly, not really sure if that was the proper way to address him, "May I ask you a question?"

"What is it?"

"You said that the Kree are coming-"

"This point will not be argued further."

"No, no! But you made it sound like there are more than one who are going to show up for the competition."

"Yes, each competitor is allowed an entourage of helpers from their home. Aside from that any important figures from any of the realms, planets, or solar systems are allowed to attend to witness the event."

"Kind of like the Olympics," Maisy nodded, "So… is there anyone on Midgard who is aware of what's going on?"

"Yes. And Thor has graciously selected your entourage for you," Odin said, "And I have ensured that all of the world leaders on your planet are aware of the fact."

The king left and Maisy gaped after him.

"He told world leaders about me?"

"You are the Midgardian representative!" Thor grinned, "Their ambassador to the realms! Regardless of how this all plays out, I assure you that your world will hold you in the highest esteem from this day forward!"

"I would not be so sure," Loki said, going over to the balcony to let the others in, "For every person who is proud of her, there will be another dozen who claim she is unqualified for the job and insist they send someone else."

"Yes," Thor admitted, "When I was explaining Taka af Brúðr to Fury and my friends, Fury suggested that they send the Black Widow in Maisy's stead."

Loki looked like he was going to be sick at that.

"Me, marry Natasha Romanoff?" He wheezed, "If they concurred that this was good plan someone please kill me now!"

"Romanoff is coming?" Sif asked excitedly, "When Thor told me of her I knew that I had to meet her!"

"No. Romanoff is not coming!"

"Actually, she is!" Thor laughed.

"It has been a pleasure knowing you," Loki hung his head and started trudging to the balcony, intent on leaping off, "Goodbye."

"She is not coming to compete! She is part of Maisy's entourage!"

"Really?!" Maisy squealed, "The Black Widow is coming here to help me?! That is so freaking awesome!"

"Father told me to select an entourage and I have," Thor beamed, "Natasha Romanoff, Bruce Banner, Clint Barton, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, and…"

"Me!" Jane piped up, "There has to be six and Thor can't do it so he asked me to."

"Oh. My. Gosh," Maisy grinned, "I'm going to get to meet the Avengers? How cool is that?!"

"Not as cool as you'd think," Loki pouted.

"I've always wanted to meet Tony Stark! And Captain America?" Maisy leaned over to Jane and whispered something and they both laughed. It was probably something about the nature of Steve Roger's good looks. Loki tried not to be irritated by that, but he couldn't help rolling his eyes.

"You shall meet them all!" Thor declared, "They will arrive one day before the competition begins, the same as all the other realms."

"In the meantime," Sif said, still holding a snoring Linn, "I think it is best we begin today's training. We have too little time to sit around in our nightclothes gossiping."

"Agreed," Maisy said, "Let's get to it!"

 **A note from the author: Thank you for reading! I hope that you are enjoying it still! Special thanks to ferbette (your reviews always make me laugh), KnightLawn, and Lwolf for reviewing! I appreciate it greatly! :)**


	36. Chapter 36

"Lady Sif!" The guard clapped a fist to his chest respectfully, "The Allfather requests your presence immediately."

"Hold on a moment!" Sif called, turning back to Maisy, "Alright, just keep practicing against this dummy. I must say that you are doing much better with the bow staff than the daggers. Remember to swing low then hit high!"

"Okay," Maisy nodded, getting back to her practice dummy with renewed determination. Any encouragement from Sif always made her want to work twice as hard. Sif was just so freaking cool and Maisy wanted to be exactly like her.

Once the warrior had disappeared Maisy practiced on the dummy until she was out of breath and then pushed herself to practice for five more minutes. When she deemed herself ready for a water break, she set the staff down and tiredly trudged over to her water bottle. The bottle was one of those nifty purifying ones that she'd had in her backpack when she'd been attacked. She supposed after so long in use the water filter probably didn't do much anymore, but she liked to think that it kept weird Asgardian things out of her system. She wondered if Asgardians had chlorine and fluoride and stuff in their tap water or not. Eh, even if they didn't they might have something that was slightly harmful to humans in it instead.

"Have you ever seen a Dark Elf fight?" A voice said and Maisy stopped drinking to look around the training area. She spotted Drin lounging lazily against a column.

"Excuse me?"

"Have you ever seen a Dark Elf fight? When they invaded Asgard I saw it first hand," He was examining his sword blade, and he tilted it so the sun reflected into Maisy's eyes, "They are monsters in battle. If you take their weapons from them they'll tear you apart with magic and their bare hands."

"Really?" Maisy took another swig from her water bottle, and tried to subtly move closer to her abandoned staff, "How interesting."

"What about a Kree warrior? Have you ever come nose to nose with one of them?" Drin pushed himself off the pillar and moved closer to her with a swagger in his step, "They'll crush your throat in the time it takes for you to realize you are being attacked."

"Then I'm glad I've never had an argument with one before," She shuffled closer to the staff, never taking her eyes off of him.

"And I'm sure your charming _husband_ has told you about the terrors that live in Muspelheim. Not much can be bred there except fiery skeletons so the people who inhabit it are the cast offs. The hybrids. The results of foolish inter-specie relationships. And they are all bitter. Bitter and desperate," Drin laughed, "The disgusting creatures have been trained by Surtur to stop at nothing to get what they want. It would be unfortunate to get on their bad side."

"Yep, you're probably right about that," Maisy bent down and grabbed her staff and when she straightened up he was a mere foot away from her.

"I haven't even said anything about the elegant ferocity of the Light Elves or the poisoned blades of the Krylor," Drin put a hand on her shoulder and his expression softened, "And this poor, small, untrained Midgardian hopes to defeat them all? Daisy, I do not think you stand a chance."

"Please remove your hand," She straightened her shoulders, "Lady Sif is nearby and she will come if I call out."

"She is not. I told a guard to tell her that Odin wanted to see her. I told the guard that Odin was in a room on the opposite side of the palace. She won't be able to run to your aid."

"Well Loki is-"

"Gardening. I made sure. You are all alone here."

"Then maybe I should leave," She pulled away from him and started backing toward the exit. His hand wrapped around her wrist in a grip of steel and he yanked her closer to him, "Hey! Let go!"

"Did you know that ever since you've started spending time with that Krylorian laundress that all of the maids and laundry girls have started ignoring me?" He barked out harsh laughter, "They simply turn me away and say they are tired of me! I wonder who could have given them the idea to do that?"

"I'm glad they're ignoring you!" Maisy grunted, trying her hardest to pull away, "You are a creep!"

"They turn away from my kisses and my affection," He snarled, switching his hold from her wrist to the collar of her shirt, "And I'm a very affectionate person."

"I think you need to take a look at a dictionary!"

"So if they won't have me then you will. I never did get that kiss I asked for," He crushed her against his chest and before she could do anything his lips crashed painfully onto hers, demanding and hateful. With him distracted, she took the opportunity to whack him in the head with her bow staff. When he winced and pulled out of the kiss, tearing her shirt a little, she swung again and hit him in the crotch. She'd never heard such a high pitch before. Feeling brave on adrenaline, she hit him once more in the chest and then grabbed her water bottle and ran.

She ran until she reached the laundry room and then she sprinted over to Linn and the tears started flowing. The laundress dropped the towels she held into a tub of water and gave Maisy an enormous hug, holding her tight.

"Whatsamatter Maisy? You alright?"

"Odin's going to kill me!" She sobbed and took a few breaths, calming down with the smell of clean laundry that Linn exuded, "I-I broke the r-rules! Now he's going to, he's gonna kill me!"

"He can't, now can he?" Linn patted Maisy's back, "You've gotta perform in the contest fingy. He can't take you out now."

"But, but, but..." Maisy shuddered and squeezed Linn tighter.

"Hey, hey, calm down. Let's go find Jane and Sif, alright? Then we can all talk 'bout it."

Calling for one of the other girls to cover for her, Linn lead Maisy back to the elevator, but right as they hit the "up" button the doors opened and a very angry Drin stepped out, brandishing a knife.

"Oh sweet Andromeda!" Linn yelped, "Who's this psycho?!"

"You thought you could get away from me that easily, Daisy?" Drin laughed, but his voice still sounded a little high pitched, "I can't have you running off to tattle on me, now can I?"

The other laundresses began to stir, murmuring amongst themselves and glaring at the intruder. The head laundress, an ogress, walked over with a carpet beater in hand.

"Lord Drin," She said, eyes narrowed, "Can I help you?"

"Stay out of it," He growled, "This does not concern you - any of you! This Midgardian wretch has wronged me and I intend to set things right."

Drin made a mistake in saying where Maisy was from. The laundresses who knew her would have helped her regardless, but when the ones who didn't know her heard "Midgardian" they knew exactly who she was and they all stood up and took a threatening step toward Drin.

"We will not let you harm her," The ogress said.

"You touch a hair on her head and I'll skin ya!" One of the others called.

"Yeah!"

"Fine!" Drin shouted, "But you cannot protect her forever and I will be waiting around every corner for her."

"Get out of here!" Linn shouted right back, standing in front of Maisy, "Get out!"

Drin left and all the laundresses cheered. Maisy started crying again and the ogress rolled her eyes, muttering about weak Midgardian emotions.

"It's alright!" Linn promised, having the fleeting thought that she should chase after Drin and kill him, "You can stay down here for a bit, even if Madame Veru banished you. We'll send someone to go get Sif and she can take you back to your room, kay?"

"Kay," Maisy sniffled, "Sorry."

"Dat's alright. What did he do?" Linn asked, leading her friend over to a stool and sitting her down.

"He ambushed me in the training area and he," Maisy looked around and lowered her voice, "He kissed me - if you can even call it that."

Linn felt something come over her that she didn't disagree with. She wanted to take Drin and throw him off the Rainbow Bridge. She wanted to skin him alive and then throw him in hot oil. She wanted to cut out his heart and put it in a blender and push puree. Or maybe put Drin's face in a blender. Only Linn didn't know what a blender was. She didn't know where that thought had come from, but she couldn't say that she minded it.

"Well it's settled then," Linn said cooly and Maisy gaped at the strange voice coming from her, "Drin will just have to die. A pity it will have to wait for, what? Four more days? That's how long we have until the commencement of Taka af Brúðr, do we not?"

"Linn? Are you okay?" Maisy asked, "You sound funny."

"Huh, what?" Linn shook her head, "Nuffin is wrong with me."

"You sure about-"

"I'm going to go get Sif, kay? You wait here, the girls will protect you."

Linn left her friend and took the elevator up. When she exited she found Drin standing there just as she expected. He glared at her and pointed his knife at her heart. She sneered.

"You fink you can kill me, pretty boy? Fink again," She grabbed his wrist and yanked the knife out of his hand, her eyes glowing orange, "Touch Maisy again and you'll die a long painful death."

"What happened to your voice?"

"Get lost," Linn growled and shoved him to the floor. She then smiled and whistled as she walked away. She had her heart set on finding Sif and she wouldn't let the little advisor's son get in her way.

Linn didn't know why she was going to Sif instead of Loki, but part of her was inexplicably furious with Loki for allowing this to happen to Maisy. The stupid Asgardian prince was probably pulling weeds without a care in the world and he didn't deserve to know what had happened.

 **A note from the author: Thank you all for reading! And, as always, special thanks to the reviewers: ferbette (Odin, in fact, does not have a sense of humor and is, indeed, a crabby poop) and Lwolf (Tony will be showing up soon so we'll have to see!).**

 **Ta-ta!**


	37. Chapter 37

"Why didn't you tell me what happened?!" Loki hissed at Sif. They were at the table in the feasting hall and they'd had the good fortune of being seated next to each other. Maisy had not been invited because now Odin was trying to keep her out of the public eye. Loki hadn't seen his wife since that morning when he'd left for work. She hadn't been in their room when he got back.

"What do you think I just did?" Sif hissed back, gripping her fork so tightly that it broke.

When Loki sat down Lady Sif had quickly informed him of what she knew of Drin's actions from that afternoon. She didn't know much, Linn had just told her that the young man had attacked Maisy and the Midgardian was immensely upset about it. Upon asking where his wife was, Loki received only the information that she was safe.

"You are telling me that he ambushed her during her training and," He waved his hand in the air, "Did something to her? Where were you?"

"On the other side of the palace, I thought Odin had summoned me."

"Drin must have known to get you away from her," Loki swore loudly, attracting the stares of several nobles. He glared at them and stood up, "Where is she, Sif?"

"Linn told me not to tell you," Sif's eyes were steel, she would not give in, "I do not know why, but I assume it is because she knew you would seek Maisy out in your anger."

"You won't tell me? Fine. I'll ask Linn then."

He strode out of the dining hall and shoved the guards by the door out of his way. They looked at each other and then at Odin, who had a stormy expression. The guards decided it would be best to follow the fallen prince and rushed after him. However, when they got to the hall he'd already disappeared.

Loki went straight to Linn's room, knowing that she wouldn't be working at this hour anyway. He didn't bother to knock and simply knocked the door in. Linn shrieked and then laughed.

"Oh it's you. Why'd ya hafta do that to my door?"

"Where is she?!"

"Whoa! Calm down!" Linn jumped off her bed and put up her hands peacefully, "Just calm down!"

"Linnea, where the hell is she?!"

"Oooh, watch your language there, princey!" Linn tried to laugh, but it was strained and Loki could see the fear in her eyes. She thought he was going to hurt her. Or hurt Maisy. He took a deep breath and put a kind hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry, Linn. I apologize," He sighed, "Sif just told me what happened. I need to make sure she is well. Can you tell me where she is?"

Linn narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"She's fine. You should be getting ready for Taka af Brúðr, don't you fink?"

There it was again. That magical presence that took Linn's place. Loki wished more than anything that he had his magic because he could figure out who it was and what they were up to. Sadly, he'd have to rely on his cunning alone for this one.

"Linn," Loki said, "Have you run into anyone strange lately?"

"Nope."

"I think you're lying."

"Loki, honest, I haven't come cross anyone stranger than you!"

"Then perhaps you do not remember it," He felt her forehead as if checking for a fever, "There is someone's magic rooted in your mind."

"What?!" Linn sounded genuinely scared by this, but then Loki felt the magic roar to life and her eyes narrowed, "That's terrible. Can you get it out?"

"Perhaps," Loki kept his hand on her forehead, "But that depends upon who is asking. Am I talking to Linn or whoever is spying on Maisy Sichore?"

She flinched at this.

"Someone spying on Maisy? What for?"

"I'm not sure. Though, I suspect it is because they want to ensure no real feelings develop between Maisy and myself," He wondered if this would be too obvious of a ploy, but he thought he might go for it anyway, "Such a shame they aren't here to stop it."

"Stop what?"

"Oh, nothing," He removed his hand and turned away casually, "But Maisy and I _are_ married you know, interactions are bound to happen."

"What kind of interactions?" Linn's voice had gotten crisper and colder.

"Linn," Loki chuckled, "I'm not going to discuss _that_ with a young lady like yourself!"

"So something has happened? When? And when in the nine realms did you wed? Did Odin enforce it? Or was it a choice?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Loki moved toward the door, "I'll see you in four days Egil, if you can wait that long to get your hands on her and get her away from me. You're plan to throw us together may have backfired on you."

"That was never my intention!" Linn's eyes widened and her controller seemed to realize that he'd given himself away, "I mean, fink you're crazy. Who would do such a fing?"

Loki spun back and grabbed Linn's shoulder harshly. He would have felt bad if she'd been in control of herself, but she was not. And though it was not wise to threaten an intergalactic criminal, Loki could not tolerate anyone spying on Asgard, so he put on his most intimidating face and snarled at the young laundress.

"You want Maisy? Fine," His snarl turned into a toothy grin, "If all goes according to your plan you may collect her when you wish. In the meantime, get out of this girl's mind. I would hate to do so, but for the good of the kingdom I won't hesitate to snap her neck here and now if you refuse."

"So you still have hopes of being Asgard's king, hmm?" Linn chuckled, "Still feign loyalty? You ought to have been more loyal to the realm that birthed you, trickster."

"How do you know-"

"This isn't my first time using a vessel to spy on Asgard, fool. It _is_ the only time I've had a personal interest," Linn shuddered a little, "But from what I've seen Maisy quite likes this pink welp so I will leave her. Believe me, you and I will have words when I arrive."

"I look forward to it."

"You seem like a reasonable man. I know you will do whatever it takes to save your own skin and the golden spires of 'the Realm Eternal'," Linn's nose began to bleed a little, "So keep in mind that if you want me to leave you in peace you'll keep your distance from Maisy."

"That will be difficult," Loki commented, "I did not lie when I said we were married."

"How _did_ that happen?" Linn seethed.

"I'll tell you all about it in four days time, Belison," Loki supposed he should reassure Egil that nothing remotely romantic had happened between himself and Maisy, but he thought it would be more fun to leave that worry nagging at the other man, "Now get out."

With a final shake and a loud gasp, Linn fell to the floor and when Loki felt her forehead he could sense no magic there. Good. He would have hated to kill the sweet laundress, and anyone who found out about it would hate him as well.

"Four days until a confrontation with Egil Belison," Loki muttered to himself, "Hopefully I haven't made him too mad."

He then recalled his reason for being in Linn's room in the first place and shook her awake. She groggily told him that Maisy was hiding in the fabric storage room and then she fell back to sleep. Loki put her on her bed and left. Now that he had one matter taken care of, he only needed to make sure that the idiot, Drin, hadn't wounded Maisy physically or psychologically. And if the brat had hurt her, well, Egil would have to wait his turn to make the boy suffer.

 **A note from the author: once again, my utmost thanks to everyone for reading. I truly do appreciate it. I love getting those little emails that say someone has followed or favorited or reviewed (those make me especially happy). I hope you are all enjoying the story. Special thanks to ferbette, CheetahLover, and Lwolf for the reviews, you guys are amazing people! :)**


	38. Chapter 38

"Explain what happened," Loki commanded, barging into the fabric storage room. There was a rustling of cloth and a sharp intake of breath, but no sign of Maisy, "Relax, it is only me. I am unaccompanied by anyone."

She poked her head out and Loki could see, even in the dim lighting, that her eyes were red and puffy. Knowing that she held her tears in fairly well made Loki all the angrier. If Drin had made her cry then he must have done something truly terrible.

Then he noticed that the collar of her blouse had been torn and somewhat clumsily sewn up again in an attempt to hide the damage. Upon seeing that he understood the Midgardian phrase "seeing red", for his anger seemed to cloud his vision.

"Hey…" She whispered, looking down, "Sorry I didn't tell you where I was… I didn't want to bother you."

"That's not the real reason, is it?" Loki tried to switch attitudes. It was difficult to go from intimidating to comforting in so little time and he was still buzzed about kicking Egil Belison out of Linn's mind, "You thought I would be upset."

"Are you?"

"Very much so."

"Look, Loki, I'm sorry," She shrunk away from him, "I really am, but it wasn't my fault, okay? He surprised me. And he's much stronger than I am so there wasn't much I could do!"

"You're right."

"I am?"

"It is no one's fault but that disgusting, impish, poor excuse for a noble."

"Thank goodness! I was afraid you were going to be one of those guys who says things like 'women get raped because of what they're wearing' or something like that," She visibly relaxed.

"Did he…?"

"No. Not really. He was pissed because," She huffed and sat down on a stool, "Because I empowered the women workers or something. They started refusing his advances I guess and he wanted to take it out on me. He probably would have gone farther if I hadn't whacked him with my bow staff, but he just kissed me."

"And still it makes you cry?" Loki questioned, sitting down across from her. He was incredibly furious at Drin and was already planning how to best go about hurting him. Kissing another man's wife was a shameful thing to do and people would shun Drin for it, but they would also ridicule Loki for allowing it to happen. Not to mention it angered him that it had hurt Maisy so much that she was reduced to hiding in storage rooms.

"Yeah…" She lowered her head into her hands and heaved a shaky sigh, "I just can't get the feeling out of my mind! Or the taste! I threw up twice already just thinking about it!"

"That bad, hmm?"

"It was like he ate a raw chunk of garlic and washed it down with skunk juice!"

"Probably not far from the truth," Loki agreed, trying to lighten the mood. When she did not respond he moved his stool closer to hers and wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his side. She was still shaking and when he looked down he caught the glimmer of tears on her cheeks.

"I was going to go back to the room," She sniffled, "I was going to have Sif escort me, but she said that it was too dangerous because then Drin might follow and then he would know where I live. So Linn hid me in here. I didn't want them to tell you because I thought you would flip out."

"I promise to save my flipping out until I next see Drin," He smiled at her and realized he had been stroking her hair. Remembering what Egil said, he quickly stopped the action, "Are you alright, Maisy? Truly?"

"I'm not so freaked out about the kiss," She admitted, leaning her head on his chest, much to his surprise, "I'm worried Odin will find out. Even if it isn't technically a romantic attachment."

"He will not find out."

"How do you know? Drin could say that I kissed him or something stupid like that!"

"He could, but he will not," Loki stated, "I will make sure of it. And if word somehow slips then I'm afraid Drin will spend the rest of his sorry life as a pig. I've been meaning to practice my pig transformation spell anyway."

"But you don't have magic."

"No, but Odin said he'd return it to me when Thor came home. Thor is home, it is only a matter of time until my magic is too. Besides, it is well known that I am one of the greatest sorcerers in the realm and Odin will want to show off all of Asgard's might in the opening ceremony of Taka-"

"Don't even saw the name!" Maisy groaned, "Don't remind me how close it is!"

"How goes the training?"

"I'm decent with the bow staff, but only sort of not terrible with the daggers."

"Well we can fix that," He pulled his knife from his belt and handed it to her, "Show me your best stance."

"You aren't allowed to help me."

"We are hidden in a storage room. Who is going to know?"

"Good point."

She got up and took a very stiff stance. It looked very by the book and perfect, but she was focusing so hard on a flawless stance that she didn't seem to know what to do with the weapon in her hand.

"That won't do," He said quietly, moving behind her and lowering her arms a tad, "Relax a little. You would make an excellent statue like this, but to fight with daggers it is better to be water than stone."

"A bit hard to relax when you're standing so close!" She squeaked, feeling his breath on her neck. In her opinion, this was not like the movies at all. Having a man stand so close to try and correct how you were doing something was making her do worse than before. Sif was right. Learning to fight was much easier with a female teacher.

"Don't mind me," He chuckled reaching around from behind to adjust her hold on the knife, "I've absolutely no sense of personal space."

"Kay, nope," She dropped her stance and moved away from him when his lips brushed her ear ever so slightly, "I'll take my chances with the bow staff, thanks."

Loki was again reminded of the warning he'd been given and straightened up as well. That didn't stop him from smirking at her.

"Am I that bad of a teacher?"

"I'm sure you'd do fine if you weren't flirting with your student," She crossed her arms and glared a little.

"Oh please-"

"Don't worry, I know it didn't mean anything. You bad boy types just can't help doing everything like that."

"Like what?"

"You know: _flirtatiously_ ," She turned and grabbed the bow staff that was leaning against a shelf and a water bottle as well, "Can we go home, please?"

"Do you not fear Drin is lying in wait for you?"

"Maybe, but if he is I'm not going to stop you from kicking his butt, so I think we'll be good," She held up the staff, "Plus I don't think his nether regions will want another piece of this."

"His 'nether regions' were acquainted with the staff earlier?"

"I might not look like a badass, but sometimes I can be a badass," Maisy grinned, looking rather like a proud golden retriever puppy.

"Sure," He opened the door for her with a wink, "Whatever you say, my lady."

 **A note from the author: Sadly, there will be no Drin-butt-kicking until a bit later. Never fear, it is coming, it just takes a bit to arrive. In the meantime, enjoy more slow-burn romance! And when I say slow-burn I really do mean slow. We're on chapter 38 and they still have not done anything! My goodness!**

 **Thank you for reading, you lovely humans (and other creatures) you! And, as always, I'd like to give a special thanks to those who reviewed: ferbette, Lwolf, CheetahLover, and nina del carmen! You're words are always enormously encouraging to me!**


	39. Chapter 39

"Guys, you have to wake up!" Linn's excited voice announced as their door swung open and the young lady stepped into the room, "C'mon, up, up, up!"

"Wha…?" Maisy groaned, groggily unearthing herself from her pile of blankets. They'd gotten back late, but Drin seemed to be hiding because they didn't see or hear of him being anywhere.

Loki was on his feet the moment the door opened and he had a dagger in his hand until he realized it was Linn. She only raised an eyebrow at him. He wondered if she had any memory of what had happened the previous evening.

"What is so exciting that you had to pick the lock to our door to tell us?"

"The first of the contestants has arrived!" Linn squealed.

"Is it Muspelheim?" Loki asked suspiciously. Belison could have gotten worried or agitated at Loki's behavior. He could have arranged for the Muspelheim representatives to come early. It was hugely against the rules to come early, which is why everyone had made such a fuss over Maisy being in Asgard for two months already. Loki supposed that Odin would allow for someone else to arrive before the scheduled date simply to prevent complaints about Maisy. Or at least, complaints about fairness.

"Not Muspelheim!" Linn grinned, "The Krylorian princess!"

"Blast," Loki ran a hand through his messy hair, "I suppose I am meant to go greet her."

"Who? What?" Maisy's head poked out of her blankets and she blinked in the early morning light, "What's going on?"

"Princess Aoiba is here!" Linn skipped over to Maisy and pulled her to her feet, "The Krylorian princess!"

"Oh," Maisy looked at Loki and he seemed to be mouthing the name to try and commit it to memory, "Do I need to get up?"

"Let me introduce myself first," Loki said, rolling his eyes, "It would look odd if we arrived together. More favoritism. Odin will probably allow you to dine in the feasting hall tonight and you can meet her then."

"Sounds good," Maisy yawned, "I going to go train."

"Will Sif be there?"

"I dunno, probably."

"What of Drin?"

"Oh crap, I forgot."

"I'll walk you there. If Sif is not there then you will go practice with the guardsmen. I believe they have a training session today and they are not friendly with Drin."

"Sure, sure," She trudged into the bathroom with her wrinkled clothes in hand, "Be ready in a minute."

* * *

"It is so good to meet you," The princess curtsied a little, but her piercing pink eyes never left Loki's, "I apologize for arriving before the expected date, but the journey took less time than my pilot expected."

"How fortunate for us," Loki smiled, bowing. It had been awhile since he'd needed to practice proper protocol for visiting royalty. Or any protocol at all. Since he'd returned from Midgard he hadn't really cared.

"If I may be so bold as to say so, I think you are more handsome in person than in the images I had seen," She commented casually.

"Thank you," He wondered where she'd seen a picture of him. Perhaps there was a wanted poster of him in some far corner of the galaxy. Or maybe Odin had sent out images. How awkward. "Might I say that your hair is my favorite shade of brown? It reminds me of chocolate."

He knew he could have thought of a better compliment, but it was hard to want to when she was staring at him like he was dinner. Though she seemed kind enough, and he could tell she would come off as incredibly kind and sweet, there was something in her dark pink eyes that made him wary of her.

"I was wondering if perhaps," She blushed and her skin turned a darker shade of pink, "Perhaps you could give me a tour of the palace?"

Her entourage murmured around her in Krylorian. Loki caught on that they were hesitant to let her wander in a strange place. One of them commented that it was best to keep to the designated rooms until they'd gotten a good look at the Midgardian and assessed what she was capable of. Loki made a note to tell Maisy to dress like a warrior for dinner. The more intimidating she was the better.

"I would love to give you a tour, but I don't think your friends would like you to go."

Everyone fell silent for a moment. Obviously that conversation was not meant for his ears. He grinned sinisterly. Better to let his cunning show now while the princess still had a chance to back out of the competition.

"Haha!" Princess Aoiba tittered, "I forget that you Asgardians are well versed in every tongue!"

"Shall we?" He offered his arm to her and they began walking. They were silent for most of the tour, except when Loki pointed out some insignificant feature of the palace or when the princess asked a question. The silence was comfortable, until Loki had the gall to show Aoiba the training area where Maisy was sparring with Sif. Then the silence became so tense that it could almost be cut with a knife.

"Do the women of Asgard all train so fiercely?" Aoiba finally asked.

"Not all, but Sif is one of the greatest warriors of the realm," He smirked, hoping she would ask which was which.

"And Sif is…?"

"The dark haired one," Loki said without thinking. Both women were wearing helmets that made it impossible to see their hair. He could have determined Sif even if they'd been far away, simply because she held her weapons much more confidently. Not that Maisy was doing poorly, but to the trained eye it was easy to tell that she was a novice, "In the black tunic."

Sif actually wore a red tunic and Maisy the black, but Loki doubted Aoiba would recall the women's faces later.

"And the one in red?"

"Ah, that is the Midgardian, Maisy Sichore," Loki lied. Let her think that Maisy was the more skilled one. Let her fear what was in store for her, "She requested permission to spar and Sif volunteered. They are good friends now."

Aoiba said nothing. Loki decided that meant it was time to move on. Best not push his luck and wait around until one of their helmets came off and his ruse was revealed. So, he lead the foreign princess away, though he caught her sneaking glances behind her.

"Shall I show you the ballroom?" He asked, "It is where the commencement dance shall take place in two day's time."

"Hmm? Oh. Yes. Sure."

When her pink eyes met his green he was pleased to see that there was worry there. She knew she wasn't as good as the fighting she'd seen. That was one contestant down, four to go. If they all scared this easily then Maisy might be able to win on intimidation alone.

 **A note from the author: thank you for reading! And thank you very, very much to CheetahLover and ferbette for reviewing! :)**


	40. Chapter 40

He had to admit that she looked stunning. Even if the dress wasn't green. It fit her well for being borrowed and it showed off more skin than any of the dresses she'd worn before. He found himself unable to keep his eyes from roaming to her, though he knew he should have been paying Aoiba some attention. It wasn't his fault that Maisy drew his eyes and mind elsewhere.

"How did the Midgardians even get her here so far ahead of everyone else?" The Krylorian princess asked, forcing Loki to stop gaping at the woman who sat next to Thor and look at the one next to him.

"It was not their intention to send her to Asgard," He said, "There was an accident and my brother brought her here to save her. Someone spread the rumor that we were courting and one thing lead to another and, well, now Taka af Brúðr is happening."

"So it was not intentional?"

"No," He glanced once more to Maisy, who wore one of Sif's dresses, "She does not even wish to be here, but Odin has forbidden her to leave."

"That is not the message we received," Aoiba said stiffly, "We heard that you'd taken a Midgardian woman when you went to their planet with the Chitauri. There was word that she'd manipulated you into doing it because she wanted earth to have more powerful connections."

"And who exactly was your source of information?"

"Lord Surtur sent word across the realms."

"I thought as much," Loki poked at his dinner, "It is my theory that Surtur has orchestrated this whole situation."

"Interesting theory, but he has no reason to do so."

"How would you know?"

"Princess," One of her entourage, a stocky and balding man, hissed, "Perhaps a change of subject is in order."

"You know, the weather here in Asgard is much different than in Krylor!" Aoiba said brightly. Loki narrowed his eyes, nodded, and resigned himself to an evening of hearing how the weather differed in her home world. At least while she was blabbering he could easily sneak looks at Maisy.

When he caught himself smiling in her direction he cursed himself and repeated Belison's warning in his head a few times. He wasn't stupid enough to do something that would upset someone so dangerous. He wouldn't develop any feelings toward Maisy except a close friendship. And even that was a risk. Perhaps he ought to shun her all together, but he still had hopes that she would win Taka af Brúðr. Whether it was because he wanted to spite Odin or simply because he was used to her, he did not know. He had to remind himself that it was not because it would irk Belison. Irking Belison was bad. Bad for Asgard, bad for civilians, and bad for Loki. There would be strictly no irking. Especially not while Loki didn't have magic. Speaking of which...

"Pardon me a moment, princess, I need to have a word with my father," He excused himself and began walking toward the end of table where Odin sat, regal as ever.

"Loki," Odin nodded, halting his conversation with Aoiba's father, who had come to watch, "What is it, my son?"

Such words were painful to hear since the last person to call him "son" in so gentle a tone was Frigga. But Loki would play the game if only to prove to Odin that he could.

"Father," He smiled, holding up the chain around his neck, "I thought perhaps you would help me with this?"

There was a flash of irritation across Odin's features, but he was silent as he leaned over and removed the chain from Loki's neck. The moment it was gone the trickster breathed a sigh of relief. He twirled green lights around his fingers experimentally.

"Thank you, Father, it is much appreciated."

"Of course."

Loki walked back down the length of the table, this time going on the opposite side so that he might pass by Maisy. He stopped beside her and put a hand on her bare shoulder, making her jump. Leaning down to whisper in her ear he couldn't help but notice she smelled of some sort of flowery perfume.

"I think Aoiba is scared of you."

"Why the heck would she be scared of me?"

"Because you are capturing the attention of nearly every man tonight," Loki told her, "And she is used to being the center of attention."

"I didn't do anything-"

"But you look," He searched for a word. It had to be a perfect adjective. One that conveyed how amazing she looked without making it seem like he was flirting, "Captivating."

"Yeah?" She looked down at herself, "I wish Sif had lent me a dress with a little more fabric to it. I feel exposed. Not to mention chilly."

"I can fix both of those problems," He conjured a light shawl and handed it to her.

"You've got your magic back!"

"Indeed I do," He straightened up, "I'll speak with you later."

"Okay, thanks for the shawl. See you later."

Loki nodded and continued on to his seat next to the rather boring Krylorian princess. He just had to put up with her for another hour or so and then he was free to rant to Maisy about how insipid his day had been.

 **A note from the author: I am blown away by the incredible reviews I got for the last chapter! Thank you so much to CheetahLover, ferbette (I liked your suggestions so much that I might have to change a few things in my story to actually make Loki do as you suggested or at least have Sif do what you suggested because that is a hilarious idea and I love it), and yellowroseofthenw (your review had me blushing)! :) Lots of love! I shall** **try** **to update again soon!**


	41. Chapter 41

"He gave you your cellular phone back," Loki commented, closing their door behind him. Maisy held the little device on her hand, every once in awhile pushing the power button to see if it would work. No luck so far, but she had her charging cord, so maybe when Iron Man came she could hook it up to his suit some how. Or maybe Thor could hit it with a blast of lighting.

"Yeah," She pushed her hair out of her face and glanced up at him, "He said that they got everything they wanted to know out of it and that I could have it back."

"And have you been able to get it to function again?"

"That's a big nope," Maisy sighed and tossed the phone into her backpack, "It needs to be recharged but if there are outlets in Asgard they aren't compatible with my charging cord, I'm sure."

"How unfortunate," Loki said, sitting down on the floor next to her and leaning against the footboard of the bed, "You won't be able to access the photographic illusions of Egil Belison and gawk at them."

"That's _not_ why I want my phone to work," She elbowed him, "But if it was why would you care anyway? Oh that's right, because I'm 'part of your household' or whatever."

"You sound bitter," He commented, "Did dinner go poorly for you? More rude nobles?"

"No. Dinner was fine," She ran a hand through her hair. Upon looking in the mirror that morning, she'd noticed that her roots were starting to show again. Asgard probably didn't do touch ups, "I'm sorry. I'm just tired. And nervous. And scared. And anxious. And nervous - did I mention I'm nervous?"

"About Taka af Brúðr?"

"Well, that's half of it," She admitted, "I have never been the competitive sort. I'm probably going to lose big time. But I'm _really_ worried that Egil is going to come."

"As a representative of Muspelheim, yes."

"Do you think it's likely he'll show up?"

"Ah…" Loki looked at her, "I forgot to mention that I have already spoken to him on the subject. In a way."

"Really? How did you do that?"

"He may or may not have possessed the mind of one of the palace staff members to spy on you."

"What?! W-what? Why would he do that?" She grabbed Loki's arm and stared at him. There was no way that could be right. How could someone spy on her? And why would he want anyone to? It was crazy. Loki had to be lying. The Egil she knew wouldn't… okay, well maybe if he had the resources he would have. On a bad day. If he was being overly possessive. But people just didn't do that! She would have never thought a normal person would set someone to spy on her… but she wasn't dealing with normal people anymore.

"You would know better than I," Loki had that scheming look again, mixed with suspicion, "But do not fret over it. I have ordered him out of his host's mind and he has promised not to meddle until he at least arrives here in person."

"So he's one hundred percent coming," Maisy buried her face in her hands, "Gah!"

"On the bright side, there will be no question left in our minds on the subject of whether or not he is your ex boyfriend."

"Woo hoo."

"Though at this point I have no doubts, considering he told me to keep my distance from you and seemed irrationally jealous."

"Yeah, that sounds like Egil," Maisy groaned, "I just got away from him! Do you know how long it took me to build up the courage to dump him?"

"No?"

"It took me seven months!" She snapped, "Seven months and I still barely got the words out when the time came!"

"Because you loved him still?"

"No - I mean maybe," Her eyes met his, "I didn't want to give up, you know? Like, we were dating for a year and he was a little possessive, more than the average dude, but not crazy. And I knew - well I guess he made me _think -_ that he loved me. We were so happy and then one day _boom!_ Just like that he's always asking where I am and what I'm doing and who I'm with."

"Simply overnight?"

"Pretty much!" She grabbed her sketchbook out of her bag and flipped to the picture of Egil, "I'd learned the telltale signs of an emotionally abusive relationship - we had, like, fifty seminars about it at my undergrad school. But, you know, it's a lot harder to pinpoint when it's happening to you. And it's not like he was _that_ bad."

"No?"

"He didn't do anything except act possessive," She began ticking off the other signs on her fingers, "He didn't make fun of me or put me down, he communicated pretty well about regular stuff, he didn't guilt trip me or say things were my fault. He was the same old Egil mostly."

"So what was the tipping point?" Loki asked looking at the drawing.

"When he punched a guy who flirted with me," Maisy wrinkled her nose, "The guy wasn't catcalling or anything. He was super sweet and polite and if I'd been single then I probably would have given him my number. And Egil socked him in the jaw!"

"I'm surprised it didn't kill the man," Loki raised a brow, "Midgardians don't seem to hold up well against a beating from our kind."

"He didn't kill him, but he knocked his teeth in," Maisy shook her head, "I broke up with Egil the next week."

"How did he react to that?"

"Surprisingly well, actually. I thought he'd get angry, but he just seemed resigned, like he knew it was coming. Then he kind of just disappeared. I didn't ever see him around, which was weird since we had the same friends and we hung out at the same places."

"Back to Muspelheim," Loki guessed, "Not to discredit you, but I suspect he may have manipulated you into breaking up with him so that he could leave without stirring up trouble. His work on Midgard was likely complete and-"

"Then why does he still care what I do? Why does he want me to come to Muspelheim when I lose? He must have some feelings for me, right?"

Loki tried to hold back what he was about to say, he really did, but it slipped out.

"Perhaps you are a vessel for his…" Don't say it, don't say it, don't, "Progeny."

Blast, now he'd done it. Sure enough, she moved away from him with an aghast expression and looked very much like she wanted to slap him.

"Are you saying you think he laid eggs in me or some crap?!"

"Calm down, you sound like your father - I assume, I've never met him," Loki winced when the words left his mouth. How many times had he been warned not to tell a woman she reminded him of anyone's parents. Hers, his, her friend's. No parental comparisons of any kind! It was the first rule in interacting with women.

"Excuse you! You just insinuated that the only reason Egil wants me around is to, to, to carry children or something! I think I have every right to sound like my nutso dad! Maybe he's not as nutso as I thought!"

"I doubt Egil lays eggs though," Loki rolled his eyes, "Are you certain you aren't pregnant?"

"Pretty darn sure!" Maisy snapped, getting up off the floor and putting her hands to her stomach anyway, "We never even… you know. He said he was old fashioned and didn't want to until marriage. I didn't argue."

"You were together over a year and you didn't-"

"No! So shut up about it!"

He got up off the floor as well and moved closer to apologize, but she only moved away, shaking her head. There might have even been a gagging sound made.

"You're wrong. That's not the reason. Maybe something else, but not that."

"If you insist."

She caught the joking smile on his face and swatted his arm.

"This isn't funny!"

"I'm amused, I will admit," He advanced forward while she advanced back until she was backed up against a wall, "But if that is not the reason, then we must think of something else."

"Why can't he just love me or something cheesy like that?"

"Because it is against his nature. It would not serve him or Surtur. Tell me, did he give you any gifts that you have with you?"

Maisy squirmed uncomfortably. She'd thought that when Loki came into the room he would rant and rave about playing host to Princess Aoiba and remind her to train harder. Maybe read for a while and then go to bed. She was not expecting him to interrogate her about Egil.

"I donated a lot of the stuff he gave me," She pursed her lips and pointed to her bag, unable to reach it while cornered, "But there is one thing I keep with me."

"What?"

"Here, let me," She ducked past him, "Let me get it."

Removing her billfold from the bag, she took out a bracelet made of white beads. One of the marble beads was dark black instead and had a small heart scratched into it. She reluctantly held it out to Loki.

"He gave me this and he has the other half, which is the reverse. Mostly black with one white one."

Loki noticed that she'd calmed down and had gotten rather quiet with the bracelet in her hand. He took it from her and examined it. There was clearly magic thrumming through the trinket, but it was not intense. It felt warm and comforting. Obviously a trick.

"He must have enchanted this somehow. It holds some rare sort of spell," He could feel that it was peculiar. Something he'd never seen before and something he could not remove or meddle with.

"For real?" There was heartbreak in her voice and Loki almost felt bad for what he said next.

"Yes. I assume this is what he wants from you. He likely gave it to you for safekeeping and when it came time to use it he sent the lindworm for retrieval. Taka af Brúðr must be his back up plan," Seeing the hurt in her eyes, he sighed and patted her back, "I'm sorry Maisy, but it is the most likely scenario."

"He told me," She said quietly, picking up the bracelet again, "That these bracelets were to remind us that even when we are apart that we still have a piece of each other. I have a piece of him," She pointed to the dark bead, "And he's got one of me."

"How… sweet," The snide part of his mind (a large portion, indeed), wanted to tell her that it was stupid. Or quip that if Egil had really been fond of her he would have dispensed with the pleasant words and simply put a ring on her finger.

"Here," She shoved the jewelry at him, "Do whatever you want with it. Give it to Egil, maybe he'll take it and forget this whole thing."

"You'd best hold onto it. We don't know what sort of protective enchantments he might have put on it. I don't want to learn the consequences of taking it out of your possession."

"Fine," She shoved it back in her backpack, not caring where it went in the bag, "Excuse me."

"Maisy, don't lock yourself in the bathroom," Loki stepped in her path.

"I don't want to bother you," She started.

"By emoting? Too late," He smiled, "We are tangled in this mess together. You've seen me at my worst. Fair is fair."

"Yeah, well," She crossed her arms, "You're supposed to keep your distance, right? Or my ex will do something terrible?"

"I've never been one for following instructions."

"Then never try to assemble Ikea furniture."

"What?"

"Nothing," She shook her head, "Thanks for the offer, but I'd rather be upset in private."

"And I'd rather you didn't. You need something to take your mind off of this matter. You know what might help?"

"Don't say training."

"Training! You've only two days left! Best to use every spare moment to practice your skills!" Loki went to the wardrobe where Maisy's bowstaff leaned and tossed the weapon to her, "Now that I have my magic it will be much easier for me to aid you."

He shimmered for a moment and then became an ordinary guard. Maisy's eyes widened.

"That's… really freaking cool," She inched closer and poked his pretend beard and the illusion wobbled a little, "Huh. I don't suppose you can teach me how to do that?"

"Not in two days."

"Well, maybe later then," She sighed and twirled her staff experimentally. It knocked over a vase that sat on the table, "Oops. Yeah, let's go practice in the designated area."

As Loki helped her train with the staff he couldn't help but feel irritated. While he could not believe that Egil Belison would go to all of this trouble for a Midgardian woman, he also didn't believe that the magic in the bracelet was enough to entice this complicated plan. There had to be some other reason Belison wanted Maisy. But Loki, for all of his cunning, could not think of what it was.

When she grinned gleefully at him he could almost believe that the criminal wanted her solely for her kind and loyal disposition. Loki wouldn't have blamed him. Finding someone who truly cared was a difficult task for men with great power. But it had to be something else, even if it was just the bracelets. Because if Egil simply wanted Maisy… then she'd be gone from Asgard forever.

 **A note from the author: Uh oh, it would appear Loki is catching a bad case of** ** _feelings_** **. How terrible! ;)**

 **Thank you for reading and special thanks to the fabulous reviewers ferbette and CheetahLover! You're reviews are seriously the best things ever and I truly appreciate it!**


	42. Chapter 42

"I don't understand why this is such a big issue," Maisy said, holding her arms up to allow Linn to measure her, "And I really don't understand why I can't make it myself."

"Do you fink any of the other princess ladies will make their own ball gowns?" Linn said, "No! They'll have tailors and seamstresses and sewers and ironers and-"

"We get it, Linn," Jane interrupted, "I can't believe we didn't think of this earlier! Won't it take forever to make a dress?"

"If I worked on it all night and tomorrow morning then I could finish it in time for the ball tomorrow night," Maisy said.

"And that is why you cannot make it yourself," Sif said, sharpening her sword at the table, "As soon as your measurements are done we must get back to the practice grounds. You only have today to perfect your combat skills! And Volstagg says you missed his strategy lesson last night!"

"I was meeting Aoiba and, and… what's the Kree girl called?"

The Kree had arrived the night before. Apparently they'd heard that the Krylorians got there early and they didn't want to be left out of anything so they picked up their pace. Since the Kree did not have a princess or any high ranking women who were single, they'd selected one of their fiercest warriors. Not the fiercest, of course, since they wanted to keep their best warriors on their own turf, but not a girl to be messed with.

"Who cares?" Linn snorted, "She's goin' down!"

"Her name is Die-An," Sif supplied, "And from what I saw she thinks you a joke."

"Well, I think me a joke too, so we've got that in common," Maisy turned when Linn gestured for her to do so, "She seemed… nice."

"Did she though?" Jane asked, "I mean, she held an electrified staff up to your throat when you tried to shake her hand."

"That was just a misunderstanding! She told me that I have very pretty eyes!"

"Yes, but did you not hear her say that if this was going to be a fight to the death then she would take out your eyes and make them into a necklace?"

"Okay, that _was_ a little creepy."

"Do Kree do that? Scoop out people's eyes?" Linn asked, "Cause I was helping another maid unpack Die-An's stuff earlier and I _fought_ she had a pretty pearl necklace, but now that I finking about it, the pearls were kinda eye sized."

"There's no way, they'd be too soft" Jane comforted, "Of course, maybe she could have preserved them in some sort of glass. It would have to be when the glass was really hot so it could take the shape of the orb, but it would also have to be cool enough so as not to damage it. I wonder if-"

"No sciencey stuff this early, please!" Linn chirped.

"Sorry."

"I'm supposed to learn all of their names by the time I meet them all tomorrow," Maisy groaned, "I can remember Aoiba. And the Kree girl is… Die-An."

"Just remember that _Die_ -An wants you to die!" Linn commented.

"That's not helpful!" Jane chuckled.

"What is the name of the Alfheim girl?" Maisy asked Sif, "Is she the princess of Alfheim or just a warrior or what?"

"She is a Light Elf of the Air Elf tribe and her name is Tzefira Softbreeze. She is the daughter of the chief of the Air Elf tribe and apparently she took an interest in warcraft at an early age so her mother sent her to other realms and planets to learn their tactics. She is said to have taken a particular liking to the Midgardians who trained her. You call them vikings."

"She was trained by legit vikings?!" Maisy gasped, "That's so cool! Is she a time traveler?"

"No… I assume she was simply alive at the time."

"Oh, duh! Elves live forever, right?"

"Not quite that long, but fairly close. But I was alive during the time of your vikings too."

"Really? Um, can I ask how old you are?"

"I will celebrate my one thousand, one hundred, thirtieth birthday this year."

"Whoa," Maisy looked at her friend with newfound awe, "Is every Asgardian that old? Or, you know, a thousand plus?"

"Not the children, obviously. But many of us are rather _ancient_ from a Midgardian's point of view," Sif chuckled, "How old are you?"

"Twenty-four and a half."

"I must say, you are a bit younger than your husband."

"How old is he?"

"I do not know that he would want me to reveal that, but I will say that he's older than I am."

"And Thor's older than him?" Jane gaped, "Oh my gosh. That's crazy. I wonder what differences there are in our physiology that makes Asgardians last so much longer-"

"No science!" Linn yelped.

"Right, sorry."

"So, Aoiba, Die-An, and Tzefira?" Maisy said, "How about Fartalfheim?"

Linn snorted with laughter.

"Fartalfheim! I love it!"

"The representative of _Svartalfheim_ is none less than their current monarch. Their former king, Malekith," Sif spit, on the floor like the name was bad luck, "Appointed the daughter of the last of the Kursed to honor him. She was given the crown upon Malekith's death."

"So they're sending their queen? Isn't that kind of not a good idea? Like, what if she wins? Then who runs Fart, uh, Svartalfheim?"

"The Dark Elves know that it is near impossible that Loki would choose them. Not after what happened to his mother. But if, by some clever orchestration from the Norns, he did pick her he would likely go to become her prince consort and move to the Dark World."

"Really? That would suck for him."

"The queen is called Melantha."

"Melantha. Cool. Do I call her Queen Melantha?"

"If you wish to show her respect, but no one will expect you to."

"That just leaves the contestant from Muspelheim," Jane said, "Right?"

"Right," Maisy rubbed her forehead tiredly and Linn snapped at her to stay still, "Muspelheim. The land of fire and ex boyfriends."

"Do not confuse it with Helheim," Sif teased, "Which has both of those things as well."

"You're ex boyfriends are dead? Did you…?"

"Ha no, but I know that they will all end up there."

"Ooh, burn!" Jane laughed.

"So what do I need to know about Muspelheim's player in this ridiculous game?"

"I wish I could tell you about her, but all we know is that she is called Blaze. And that is not even her birth name, just the one Surtur gifted her with when she joined his ranks. Apparently she is fairly new to Muspelheim, but no one knows where she came from before that. We know nothing of her or her abilities so we shall simply have to wait and see."

"To summarize," Maisy hoped down from the box Linn had her standing on, "We have a Krylorian princess, Aoiba. We have a Kree warrior, Die-An. We have a Light Elf chief's daughter warrior lady, Tzefira. We've got a Dark Elf queen, Melantha. And then we've got a mystery girl from Muspelheim, Blaze."

"And," Sif sheathed her sword, "A fierce Midgardian, Maisy."

"We should have told my name was something cooler, like Death Bringer. Everyone's going to laugh when they announce me tomorrow night. Oh yes! Here comes Maisy Sichore, representative of Midgard and the predetermined loser of the bunch!"

"You aren't going to lose," Sif told her, "I can say nothing for second to last, but you will not lose."

"Thanks."

"Alright, well, I've got lots of sewing to do. Maybe I'll see if me friend Ola can help. She's handy with a seamer," Linn snatched up the paper that had her measurements on it and moved toward the door, "What color do you want? Can't be solid green, cause favoritism and all of that, but I can do some accents."

"Um… how about an ocean blue with emerald green accents. To look like earth!"

"Very nice, very nice," Linn made a note.

"Are we finished here?" Sif asked, rising, "Because the rest of your entourage arrives tonight and I want you to blow away the Avengers with what I've already shown you. Thor said that they are all eager to teach you something themselves."

"Fighting tips from the Avengers? If this whole situation wasn't super high stakes then this would be the coolest thing ever," Maisy grabbed her staff, "Let's go!"

"Excellent! Jane, you'd best come too, as you _are_ part of her entourage. If you have any tips you may teach them to her."

"I don't think I'm the most qualified person for combat training instruction, but I'd love to come and watch."

"Great."

 **A note from the author: The Avengers shall be appearing in the next chapter! Woo hoo!**

 **Thank you so much to everyone for reading (this story would be nothing without you readers) and boatloads of thanks to the reviewers of the last chapter: ferbette and CheetahLover! :D**


	43. Chapter 43

"I'm impressed," Stark nodded, "If I wasn't wearing the suit she could probably kick _my_ butt."

"Her footwork is sloppy," Romanoff noted, "But not terrible. Clint you're good with a staff. How's she doing?"

"She swings harder than she needs to. And since this is practice and she doesn't actually want to hurt her opponent it's throwing her off because she has to use additional energy to stop the blow. She needs to break that habit fast otherwise her muscles memory will keep telling her to stop before she hits whoever she's fighting."

"But for only a few weeks of training," Rogers grinned, "I'd say she's in great form."

"I don't know why I'm here," Banner said, awkwardly sticking his hands in his pockets, "I don't think I'm going to contribute much."

"I have just overheard that there is to be an intelligence portion of the competition," Thor told his friend, "I thought you and Jane might be able to assist Ms. Sichore in her studies."

"And me!" Stark snapped, "I'm smart too!"

"Of course."

"And how is Loki dealing with all of this?" Rogers asked, "He's not going to, you know, freak out and kill people if something goes wrong, right?"

"I'll have you know that I do have some control of my temper," Loki, who'd been disguised as a guard, commented, dropping his illusion.

"You," Barton seethed, hand flying to his quiver, "You should have stayed hidden, pal."

"You had to know you'd run into me eventually. You _are_ here to help my wife."

"Yeah, but not as any favor to you."

"Right, right. For the good of Midgard or whatever," Loki rolled his eyes, but ignored the Avengers to watch Maisy and Sif dance around the training yard, "Do any of you think she stands a chance?"

"We haven't seen the others yet," Romanoff said, "How should we know?"

There was silence for a time and finally Loki decided to break it.

"Well, she'll be eager to meet you all. Let's stop lurking in doorways and say hello," he strode out onto the training area and he heard Barton and Romanoff muttering behind him.

"You just have to put up with him for the competition. Can't you tolerate him for that long?"

"I'll try, Nat, but no promises that he won't wake up with an arrow in his chest some morning."

More irritating still was the loud whispering coming from Stark's mouth. Loki only caught snatches of it, but most of it was about how there was no possible way that Loki could care what happened to Maisy. Stark suspected that there was some master plan involved. Typically, he would have been right. In recent years, Loki hadn't done much of anything that didn't further his goals of being king of Asgard. Of course, before he'd discovered his heritage, he'd done things simply because they amused him or because they bothered Thor. With Maisy around he'd mostly done things to spite Odin. And perhaps today his motivation would be spiteing Tony Stark.

"My lady," He caught her bow staff as she swung it and turned her back to face him, pulling her a bit closer than was completely necessary.

"Oh hey," She grinned through her sweat and panting, "Is it lunch already?"

"Dinner, actually."

"Really? Sif, did we train right through lunch?"

Sif looked at the sky.

"It would appear so. My apologies."

"Let's grab a bite fast," Maisy dried her brow on a towel, "I'd kinda like to freshen up before the Avengers get here."

"Ah, that might be a problem."

"Why - oh my gosh, you're Tony Stark!" Maisy yelped as the billionaire approached with his signature swagger.

"Last I checked. That's the fun part of being famous, people always remind you of your name. Usually accompanied by an 'OMG'."

"Sorry, wow, so great to meet you, wow, wow, wow!" When the man offered his hand Maisy shook it enthusiastically and then gasped again and looked at the sleeve of his suit jacket, "Is this a Tom Ford suit?"

"Sure is," Stark waved it away, "Why do you care?"

"Sorry," She stopped holding onto his wrist with a sheepish smile, "I study fashion. Or I did. On earth."

"Really?" Stark asked, brow quirked, "Not something useful?"

"What?"

"Shut up Tony," Barton snapped, stepping into the picture, "Fashion is useful. Otherwise we'd all be naked."

"Wow! You must be Hawkeye, right?" Maisy shook his hand as well, "I went to the archery club at my undergrad school when I saw you on TV. I sucked at it, but it was fun!"

"That settles it," Barton clapped a hand on her shoulder, "I like her."

"You like anyone who inflates your ego," Romanoff teased, "Hey, I'm Natasha."

"I know!" Maisy squealed, "I mean, uh, nice to meet you! You are such an inspiration and so cool, and my best friend got a tattoo of a black widow spider when she saw you, and you're just so freaking cool!"

"Thanks," The assassin didn't quite know how to deal with a fangirl. In her line of work it was better not to get attention and anything featuring the Avengers usually excluded her anyway. It was kind of nice to be acknowledged for once.

"Hi, I'm Bruce," Banner smiled, "You probably don't know me."

"Are you kidding? My roommate senior year was doing her thesis based off of your work on gamma radiation or whatever it is you study."

"And that's all you know about me?"

"Well, since I'm not into that science stuff, I'm more impressed by the big green giant guy," She admitted.

"I bet Loki is nervous to see Bruce again," Stark laughed, "I still play that footage to cheer myself up. And at parties. And on my birthday. And at Christmas."

"You've met the Hulk?" Maisy asked her husband.

"'Met' is not the word I would use," Loki crossed his arms, "Perhaps 'encountered'."

"Oooh, you tried to take on the Hulk, didn't you?"

"Perhaps."

"Mr. Stark," Maisy said very solemnly, "I'm going to need you to send me whatever footage you have for my birthday."

"I can do you one better," Stark pulled back his sleeve to reveal a fancy watch. He pushed a few buttons and a holographic screen popped up, "Jarvis, play video file 'Ragdoll'."

"Yes sir," A British voice from the watch replied.

"I am a god, you dull beast, and I will not be bullied by-"

"Oh. My. Gosh!" Maisy covered her mouth, looking partly frightened and partly amused.

"Alright, that's enough of that," Loki reached over and crushed the watch, "Oops, so very sorry."

"Were you okay?"

"Hmm?"

"That is the worst beating I've ever seen anyone take ever! Were you okay afterward?"

"I still stand before you, do I not?"

"Dude!" Maisy exclaimed, looking at Thor, Loki, and Sif, "Asgardians are made of tough stuff!"

"So are you, apparently," Steve Rogers said, offering his hand, "I saw what the dragon thing did to you. It takes one tough lady to survive that."

"You're, you're…" Maisy kept shaking his hand with a blank stare on her face, "You're."

"Captain America, yeah," Rogers blushed a little, "It's okay. I'm just a normal guy."

"That's where he's wrong," Stark cut in, "He can do a million push ups and then run fifty miles - one in honor of each of the states - and then sing the national anthem without even taking a breath. He really is all that."

"I'm so honored to meet you, sir."

"Steve, you can call me Steve."

"Now that everyone is properly introduced," Loki clapped his hands together loudly, "Let us get dinner."

As they walked to the feast that had been set up especially for the Avengers Loki wrapped his arm around Maisy's shoulder. Perhaps because he felt like pointing out to the Avengers that he did care about her or perhaps because she kept shooting Captain Rogers interested glances.

He told himself it was only because he did not wish for Egil Belison to have to go up against the Midgardian hero. Not because he felt a twinge of jealousy that Maisy never looked at him that way.

"Perhaps you'd like to change first?" He said to her.

"That would be ideal," She smirked, "I'm sure I smell unpleasant right now."

"We shall meet you there, everyone," Loki announced.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Stark got in the way of their departure, "Where do you think you're going?"

"She wishes for a change of clothing."

"Yeah, I wish for a change of clothing."

"Thor, you aren't serious letting them wander off together, right? What if he attacks her?!"

"Why would he?" Thor asked, puzzled.

"She's a pretty girl, he's an evil spaceman…"

"Mr. Stark, it's fine!" Maisy shrugged off Loki's arm, "I trust him. I mean, I sleep in his room. He's had ample opportunity to attack if he really wanted to."

"You what?"

"On the floor!" She quickly supplied, red creeping into her cheeks. Loki rolled his eyes at this. She'd spoiled the look he'd been going for - that of a happy married couple with nothing out of the ordinary. Now the Avengers were sure to think he was using her.

"On the floor?!" Stark yelped, "What?!"

"Ms. Sichore," Rogers said, gently placing a hand on her arm, "I'm sure Nat wouldn't mind if you shared her room."

"Not at all." Romanoff was glaring at Loki.

"It is not as if I am forcing her to."

"Yeah!" Maisy pulled away from Rogers, "It's Odin's fault really. He made a weirdly specific rule that I can't sleep on the couch and I didn't feel comfortable sharing the bed so-"

"Why couldn't you take the floor, brother?" Thor asked, "Had I realized that pile of blankets on the floor is Maisy's bed I would have objected much sooner!"

"It's fine! I'm used to it by this point. Can we please drop it?"

"We need to talk to Father about this. How ridiculous! All of the other contestants sleep in our plushest guest rooms and the bride of a prince of the realm sleeps on the floor? I will not have it!"

"If she really wanted a bed she could sleep next to me."

"Harassment!" Stark shrieked, "I know that game! One minute she'll be sleeping and the next you'll be on top of her!"

"Tony!" Steve snapped.

"It's what would happen!"

"It is not!" Maisy objected, "But I'd prefer the floor. Everything is fine as it is! It's nothing to worry about!"

"Still, as her official protectors I don't think we should let her go wandering around with him alone," Barton was twirling an arrow around his fingers, "I don't trust him."

"I was not expecting the Avengers to be so much like my dad," Maisy muttered to Loki, "Can you get us out of here, please? I'm sick of being sweaty."

"My pleasure," Loki whispered back while the Avengers continued to list reasons why he couldn't be trusted. He shot a bolt of magic to knock over a vase and when everyone turned to look he made doubles of himself and Maisy and quickly sprinted to a hiding spot with her. She grinned as they huddled behind a pillar and her smile only grew when Loki disguised them to look like two guards. Then they simply walked away, unnoticed by the entourage.

* * *

"You know, when I heard I was going to meet the Avengers," Maisy said, exiting the bathroom and drying her hair with a towel, "I really thought they'd be less worried about the possibility of you attacking me and more worried about helping me do my best in this competition."

"I'm sure they will prioritize what they are supposed to when they take a moment to put a few things behind them."

"I mean, I get it. You invaded our planet with aliens and crap," She put the towel down and grabbed a comb, "I was freaked out too. But why did they agree to come if they hate you so much?"

"Because Thor asked them to," Loki looked up and raised an eyebrow, "You're wearing your Midgardian clothes?"

Not just the dress she'd made, either, the actual clothes she'd arrived in. Of course, she'd patched up the huge talon hole and Linn had done a good job of getting the blood stains out. Still, there was something quite peculiar about seeing Maisy in the outfit. Perhaps because last time she'd been wearing it she'd been bleeding out on the floor of the throne room. Or perhaps because Loki was used to seeing her in the clothing of his realm and it was jarring to see jeans and the gray long sleeve blouse. To hide the damage to the shirt, she'd covered the holes in pastel green star patches. She looked like an average Midgardian woman.

"Yeah," She shrugged, "I figured no one at a dinner exclusively for people from earth would care that I'm wearing skinny jeans. Odin won't be there, right?"

"I doubt it. He already spoke to Thor's friends. Can you believe he thanked them for their services for the realms? He said that he was honored to play host to the ones who protected Midgard from an Asgardian threat."

"I can believe that," Maisy laughed, grabbing her backpack and completing the foreign outfit, "That's one thing that Odin and I can agree on!"

"And here I thought you were on my side," Loki tried not to sound bitter, but it came out that way nonetheless.

"Well, if you'd have beaten the Avengers I'm pretty sure my life would be miserable," She crossed her arms, "There probably would have been revolutions and riots and lots and lots of death."

"You think the people of your home world would have stopped fighting each other long enough to band together against me?" He scoffed, "I doubt it."

"Maybe not, but I get a feeling that there would have been plenty of people would have tried to stand up to you," She said, "And they probably would have died trying. Life would have sucked under your rule. No offense."

"And when the dust settled a little and it became apparent that I could not be overthrown, then there would be peace throughout Midgard. Something you have never accomplished on your own."

"Sure, but what does peace look like? And how would you enforce it? Punish anyone who ever gets into an argument with another person? Like I said, it would suck."

"What if, hypothetically, I were to attempt it again? Right now?" He stood up and moved closer to her, "And what if, hypothetically, I poisoned all of Thor's precious Avengers tonight at dinner. And none stood in my way."

"That…" She narrowed her eyes at him, "That would be very bad. And hopefully Thor would stop you."

"He's an Avenger though, so assume he is dead as well."

"I don't think you'd do that. He's your brother. He argues with Odin to make sure you stay out of prison."

"Suppose then, that he was unable to defeat me, due to some other reason."

"Sif and the others wouldn't let you get away with it. I don't think Odin would either."

"All of them, out of commission. They are all gathering tonight and my magic is returned to me. You don't think I could stop them all long enough to conquer Midgard? No one would stand in my way and I would be king."

"That's not true," Maisy frowned, " _Someone_ would stand up to you. There would always be someone."

"Who? Earth's military has proved that they can do little to stop me."

"Well," She huffed, "Then I'd stop you. Somehow."

He laughed and his arm snaked around her waist, pulling her closer to him. When she was neatly tucked in his side he pushed her hair back and whispered in her ear.

"But _you_ wouldn't want to. If I were king, what would that make you, my lady?"

Rather than answer him right away, she squirmed out of his hold and glared.

"It's a good thing we're speaking hypothetically," She marched for the door, "We're going to be late for dinner."

"Who cares?" Loki grinned.

Jaw clenched, Maisy gave a retort he was not expecting.

"Hope you don't have that same attitude before tomorrow's ball, because I know of at least one guy who's coming who will care," She stepped outside, "I thought we were friends, but maybe you should listen to _him_ and keep your distance."

 **A note from the author: Sorry if this one got a bit lengthy! I was going to split it in two, but I thought I might as well leave it as is. Thank you for sticking with it! :)**

 **Thank you to CheetahLover for reviewing: Hopefully the first chapter with the Avengers was satisfactory!**

 **Thank you to ferbette for reviewing: It will be a while, but I will try to fit in some Natasha fight scenes! :)**

 **Thank you to nina del carmen for reviewing: Here is the best writing advice I can offer: Sit down, think about your idea and jot down things you know you want your story to have in it. Whether it's characters, little scenes, plot ideas,** ** _anything_** **. For example, I sometimes write scenes out of order because I'll think of a fun idea for two characters interacting even if I don't have a place in the actual story for it, then I work it in later. Sit down and think of all the fun things that would make you happy to put in your story because if you can start by writing something that you enjoy then you can work toward making it well written later. Always have lots of fun with your writing because if you aren't having fun then what is the point? And the more you write the better you'll get at it. I used to** ** _suck_** **at this and I still think I'm learning lots but I keep writing all the time and I sometimes make something that other people find entertaining too, which is an awesome feeling!**

 **Good luck with your writing and be certain to PM me when you post your first story! I'd love to read it! :D**

 **Thanks everyone for reading! Love you all!**


	44. Chapter 44

"There you are!" Stark announced as Maisy and Loki walked into the smaller dining hall, "If Thor hadn't kept assuring us that everything was alright then we would have sent out a search party!"

"Maisy!" Jane Foster greeted, "Come sit with me and Agent Romanoff, we were just talking about tomorrow."

"Ugh," Maisy plopped down in the seat between the two other women, "I have talked about tomorrow enough to last a lifetime - an Asgardian lifetime."

"Yeah, but we just found out new information," Black Widow said, stirring around her food. Maisy watched the fork mix up the food and wondered if Loki had actually done anything involving poison. She couldn't imagine that he would right before Taka af Brúðr was about to start, but he'd been so weird. She kept telling herself that it was just because that's where the topic of conversation had led them and it really wasn't that out of character for Loki to take a conversation and make it ridiculously uncomfortable. Still, watching the Avengers eat and drink made her nervous.

"Apparently, after the ball tomorrow night all six of you are going to spend the night in one room together," Romanoff said, "I don't know why. Maybe to let you get to know each other or to size each other up. Maybe to see if you'll all kill each other."

"Okay. So there's a ball tomorrow and then a big sleepover. Anything else going on that I need to know about?"

"The following day they'll have something called the 'Bridal Procession'," Jane said, "And it takes place in some big arena across town. The visitors from all of the realms will be there and watching and it's kind of like the opening ceremony for the Olympics. The contestants come in with a big flashy show with their entourages and try to outshine each other."

"We should probably plan something out for that, shouldn't we?" Maisy groaned, "So much to do! This feels like freshman orientation all over again, except I don't have a handy dandy little schedule telling me where to go."

"It's fine," Natasha said, "That's what we're here for. You just focus on the competition and let us handle figuring out when and where everything is. Tony already planned out our entrance for the Bridal Procession, so you can be sure it will out sparkle everyone else there."

"Great."

Maisy was thrilled to be sitting next to the Black Widow, but she was so tired from training, meeting the Avengers, arguing with the Avengers, and then being creeped out by Loki, that she couldn't fully appreciate it. Not to mention the fact that the stress of tomorrow was really starting to settle in. She had a nervous sick feeling in her gut about meeting the other women, given Aoiba and Die-An seemed to hate her so much already. And she supposed she didn't blame them. They weren't here to befriend each other, they were here to win. And they were furious that Maisy had the advantage of being there for two and a half months already.

And on top of everything else her ex boyfriend was going to show up the next day and she had no idea how to deal with that. She knew she couldn't avoid him, but she certainly didn't want to talk to him, knowing that he'd just been using her for their whole relationship. At some point it was likely that he was going to ask her for the bracelet back, but maybe she could get Loki to deliver it.

That was one thing that didn't make sense to her. If he just wanted the bracelet then why didn't he just ask for it? She would be glad to get rid of it. There had to be some other reason that he was demanding that she be given to Muspelheim when she lost. Maybe he'd told her something he shouldn't have and he wanted to take her away to kill her where no one was watching. The whole idea of seeing him again made her just about lose her appetite. She still ate though because the kitchen had done their best to mimic Midgardian foods for this special occasion and they'd done an awesome job on the mac and cheese.

"Hope I'm not intruding," a voice from behind her said and she tensed up as hands gripped her shoulders, "But I simply had to come meet the mighty Avengers for myself."

"You!" Loki spat from the seat across from Maisy. He stood up so quickly that his chair fell over with a clatter.

"Get away from Maisy!" Jane snapped, standing up too. When Jane became upset, Natasha jumped to her feet and pointed her fists at Drin, her stingers charging up with a low buzz.

"Whoever you are, I'd advise you take a step back."

"Oh, but Maisy and I are great friends," Drin laughed and Maisy's stomach clenched remembering his lips on hers, "She doesn't mind."

"What is going on?" Thor demanded, hammer flying into his hand, "Drin, have you met Maisy before?"

"A few times. We've gotten along swimmingly in the past."

"Jane, does he speak truly?"

"No," Jane narrowed her eyes at the intruder, "And I can smell alcohol on his breath. I think he's drunk! He might try and hurt her again!"

"Again? Why was this fact not made known to me?" Thor asked, stepping closer.

"Because we thought you might tell Odin," Maisy said quietly, "And then Odin would be upset and take it out on me."

"Can someone please explain what is going on?" Steve asked, standing as well.

"I think she's referring to the other day," Drin slurred, tapping his lips, "She gave me a little kiss."

"That's not what happened!" Maisy growled, but stopped when he tightened his hold on her shoulders so much that it was painful.

"Let go of her this moment," Loki said, "And maybe I'll consider letting you live."

"Careful, traitor trickster," Drin put a knife to her throat, "I meant to do this when I was finished with her the last time I saw her. I don't mind doing it with an audience."

Maisy tried to think of a way out of this. Her bow staff was back in her room and the table knife wouldn't do enough damage to make him flinch. The only other thing she had was the dagger that Sif had given her, in her backpack, which was sitting by her foot. So, she flipped it open and carefully dug around inside, trying not to move too much.

When the weapon was in her hand she lost her nerve.

"Drin, let the girl go," Thor said, moving closer, "Is it worth spending your days in the dungeon? Your father will be most displeased."

"Stay back, Your Highness," Drin warned, yanking Maisy's hair so she was no longer looking down at her knife, but up at her attacker's face instead. His eyes were bloodshot and his hair was a mess. And his breath did, indeed, smell strongly of the mead everyone drank.

"Ow!" She yelped.

"Shut up, Daisy," he spat on her face, "We have unfinished business so I think we'll take a nice stroll, have a bit of _fun_. And when we're done playing I'll kill you and I'll hide your broken body where not even your vile husband can find it."

Just like that, her nerve returned to her and, with a scream of rage, she drove the dagger into his neck so quickly that he didn't have time to react. Blood squirted in a wide ark and effectively ruined dinner. Then the knife at Maisy's neck fell into her lap and Drin slumped onto her back before sliding to the floor.

Maisy dropped her knife and scrambled out of her seat. Jane was there, ready with a tight hug and Thor was calling to the guards to come take Drin to the healer as fast as they could. Not that anyone thought there was much to do be done for him. Steve motioned for Natasha to follow Maisy and Jane as they were retreating from the room and the rest of the Avengers began talking amongst themselves. No one noticed when Loki made himself to look like a guard, gave Drin a good kick, and followed after the women.

When he exited the dining hall he found Maisy clutching to Jane and sobbing. Her bleached blonde hair was more red at the moment and her face was freckled with specks of blood. Jane and Romanoff were also splattered with the liquid, but neither seemed to be paying much attention to the fact.

"I k-killed him!" Maisy blubbered, "I killed him!"

"He might be fine," Jane soothed, "Thor was having him taken the healers. He could be totally fine."

"But if he isn't," Romanoff said, patting Maisy awkwardly, "Nice shot."

"What if Odin finds out? Oh my gosh," she was shaking, "Oh my gosh, I'm as good as dead! I killed him!"

"Natasha, stay with her for minute," Jane said, removing herself from Maisy's hold, "I'm going to go find Linn-"

"No!" Maisy said, "She's just a kid! She can't see this! I killed someone!"

"Alright, then I'm going to find Sif."

Loki, having heard this, shifted to look like Sif and approached with the most comforting expression he could.

"I heard from a guard and came as fast as I was able."

Romanoff raised a brow at this, but said nothing, handing Maisy over to Loki. He patted her back and began leading her away. Jane and Romanoff looked ready to object but Loki sent a glare their way.

"I am taking her somewhere safe. Until this blows over. Jane, please inform Thor of everything that Drin has done up to this point. Do not leave out the fact that he assaulted her the first time he met her. Thor must know what is going on at this point, there is no getting around it."

"Sif, where are you taking Maisy?" Jane asked.

"It is better that you do not know. Then if Odin asks you will not be able to tell him."

"I think that-" Romanoff started.

"I will take care of this," Loki waved them off and gently guided Maisy away, leading her through the palace until they came to Frigga's old quarters. He magicked the door open and then locked it behind them. With a snap of his fingers the lights were lit and a soft glow illuminated them. Maisy's eyes were wide open, but they weren't focusing on anything until Loki dropped his disguise. Then she jumped and yanked away from him, scowling.

"Go away. Find the real Sif. I don't want you," she sniffled, wiping her nose on her sleeve.

"Too bad, you have me and I'm not letting you out of this room until we can be certain that everyone understands what you did was in self defense," he sat down on a couch and there was a slight puff of dust. With the puff came the old familiar smell of his mother's perfume and he winced.

"Just go away," Maisy's bottom lip wobbled a little and tears started flowing once more. She shuffled away from him and left the sitting area to go behind a curtain to the sleeping area. Loki heard her muffled crying and decided to wait until she'd calmed down a bit. An hour later she quieted and came back out. The blood had caked onto her hair, and smeared with her tears on her face, but she didn't seem to mind.

"Feel better?" Loki asked, still lounging on the couch, holding one of his mother's favorite books.

"No," she whispered, "I feel terrible. I just _killed_ somebody."

"He was an insect. An ant under your boot."

"He was a person."

"A person who threatened to rape and murder you. He deserved what he got. Rather, he deserved worse than what he got," he put the book down, "I would have cut out his intestines and strangled him with them. In fact, I'm disappointed your knife found him before mine did."

"Please stop it," she sat down at the opposite end of the couch and folded her hands in her lap, "I know he was terrible, but I didn't want to kill him."

"Then you should have let me," Loki put the book down and inched closer, "Do not worry yourself over this. You have an eventful day tomorrow and you cannot have this clouding your focus."

"Why do you care?" Maisy asked harshly, "Why do you even care if I'm the one who wins or not? There is nothing in it for you if I win. Alfheim lady - Tzefira - would be a better political match. Root for her."

"I want you to succeed because," he paused, "I consider you a friend. We have not known each other long, but we've been acquainted longer than Thor knew Jane before he declared his love for her. I cannot help wanting to be your friend at this point."

"Stop it," she put her face in her hands, "Just stop it."

"I'm not lying to you," he moved closer still, "And apart from that, you've had a few months practice at the position of being my wife. I'd prefer not to go through the process of getting to know someone entirely new."

"Plus it would make Odin mad if I won, right?" She peeked up at him and he smiled.

"That too."

"Well I don't want to spend the rest of my life as your tool to make your dad angry. If I lose and Egil really doesn't care what happens to me then maybe I can go back to earth, you know?"

"That is a large risk. Egil Belison does not seem like the bargaining type. Once he gets you to Muspelheim I doubt you'll be leaving. And Surtur isn't fond of releasing people."

"But-"

"And perhaps if you win then Odin will allow us a little more freedom. We might be able to visit Midgard on a regular basis," he didn't add that he didn't think he _should_ visit the planet considering everyone there probably wanted him dead, "We can say hello to your father and have him shoot me a few times. It will be great."

"Loki, if I win we'll be stuck together forever."

"That _is_ the definition of marriage, isn't it?"

"But what if you find someone you'd rather be with?" She ran her hands through her blood caked hair, "What if I do?"

"Doubtful," he shrugged, "I have bigger plans for the future, it will be nice to have the topic of marriage taken care of and out of the way. As for you… if you do find someone else I suppose I wouldn't get in your way."

"I'm not the kind of person who'd do that," she glared at him, "Marriage is marriage and I'm no cheater. And Odin said-"

"Odin will not always be king," Loki snapped, and then realized what he'd said and tried to cover up his implication, "In fact, Thor was meant to take the throne long ago. He simply gave it up to spend more time on Midgard."

"Let's just drop it, okay?" She leaned on the arm of the sofa and stared blankly at a flickering torch, "I'm sorry I asked."

"Are you still upset about Drin?" Loki asked, moving another inch closer to her.

"I killed him! Yes, I'm pretty upset!"

"Take it from someone who has killed many people: you'd do better to put it behind you and forget it."

"That's wrong," she said quietly, "That's sick. If I forget the bad things I've done then how am I ever going to learn from them?"

"If you let it, this deed will haunt you forever. Just forget about it. You know that killing is wrong. You aren't likely to do it again - though some find that after you take one life it becomes much easier to take another…"

"Are you trying to make me feel worse?"

"Thor has killed people," Loki decided to go for a different approach, "The notorious Black Widow did not get her name from putting people behind bars. Steve Rogers was a soldier. I doubt Stark, Barton, and Banner have gone without taking the life of a human or extraterrestrial creature."

"I know."

"Sif has killed her fair share of people," Loki continued, "And though Odin claims to be a good and pure king I know he has blood on his hands as well."

"I know. I know!" She abruptly turned to look at him, panic in her eyes, "But I'm not a fighter."

"Then you have made the wrong friends. You are surrounded by fighters and killers. I am sure everyone in that room was proud of your actions," he sighed and stood up, "So take tonight to process it, but tomorrow put it behind you."

"Where are you going?"

"I want to find out if Odin has ordered your execution or not. Stay here. I'll send one of the Avengers for you in the morning."

"Wait!"

"What?"

"Please don't leave," she looked down, "I don't want to be alone. And… and I consider you my friend too."

Loki smiled.

"Very well."

"Can we just, I don't know. Can we chat for a little bit? About stupid stuff? I can't take another minute of talking about tomorrow. Or Egil," she straightened up a bit, "Although, it's not so hard to think about meeting him considering what I just did."

"That's right! If Egil gets on your nerves you can just stab him!"

"Not funny."

"Right, changing the subject," Loki dropped down onto the couch right next to her, "Do you think Linn fancies that guard who has been standing outside our door for the past month?"

Maisy snorted and couldn't help a smile.

"Really? That's what we're going to talk about?"

"You said you wanted to talk of nothings!"

"Alright," she laughed, "Yes, I do think that Linn has a huge crush on him. And I think he likes her back."

"Do you think it wise to encourage such interaction?" Loki asked, voice serious, "Obviously she could do better. And she is rather young. Shouldn't she still think that boys are filthy creatures?"

"She's fifteen!"

"When I was fifteen I could scarcely walk!"

"That's weird to think about," Maisy giggled, "Linn's half Krylorian, half human. She ages more like a human does. Or a Krylorian. I don't know."

"I think they age at a similar rate as your kind."

"But back on topic - that guard is cute! I think they'd be great together!"

"He's Asgardian, he's much too old for her!"

"Look who's talking, Mr. I could scarcely walk at fifteen! Their age difference can't be worse than ours!"

"I suppose, but I still do not like the looks of him. He isn't good enough for Linn."

"Well, duh, no one is, but he seems sweet!"

"Perhaps. But he shall have to be monitored carefully before being allowed to broach the subject of romance with our little laundress."

They laughed and teased about Linn's prospective suitors for a long while before breaking off unto other topics of conversation. As the evening grew later and darker Maisy yawned more and more until her head was drooping and she couldn't respond. With a sigh and a good natured roll of his eyes, Loki scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom and tucked her in. Then he left the sleeping area and went back to the couch.

He hoped the Norns would be kind and not send her dreams of Drin, as they'd sent him nightmares of the first life he'd ever taken. Even if that life had been an enemy warrior in the midst of battle. No matter how he wanted to, he could not push the vacant, dead eyes behind him and they still bothered him from time to time.

But perhaps tonight his nightmares would vanish and he would dream of something nicer. Perhaps of someone with wide brown eyes and a quick joyful smile. Or perhaps his dreams would do what he seemed to be unable to and keep their distance from the Midgardian woman.

 **A note from the author: Sorry that it's been a bit since I've updated, I've had a rather busy week. Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed Drin finally getting what was coming to him... even if it might have been a bit much. As always, I would like to give a special shout out thanks to the reviewers. So thank you very much to: Amber, GabbyAbby216, CheetahLover, ferbette, Haruka-chan1994, and Eliza! You guys are wonderful, wonderful people and I appreciate your kind words! :)**


	45. Chapter 45

"Psst! Psst! Maisy, wake up!"

"Linn? What time is it?"

"Time to get up! We've only got eight and a half hours until the ball starts!"

"How'd you find me?" Maisy groggily sat up and realized she was still in the room that Loki had hid her in the night before, "Where's…?"

"Loki let me know where you were," Linn smirked, "He said dat if I was your lady's maid today then he'd pay me twice what I make in a day of laundry."

"Okay… oh, ew my hair."

"It's covered in a rusty colored nastiness," Linn inspected, "Your face has got some too and - oh no! You've ruined this shirt again!"

"Sorry," Maisy wasn't sure if she should tell the girl what the reddish-brown stains were. It might traumatize her or something.

"It looks like blood. Smells like it too! What'd you do?"

"Um… Drin attacked me at dinner last night."

"Oh sweet Andromeda! Have you been to a healer? Are you okay? This is so much blood! How are you still alive?"

"It's not my blood," Maisy winced, "I stabbed Drin."

"Really? Nice! Now we won't have to deal with him anymore!"

"I killed him!"

"Exactly!" Linn chirped, "C'mon, get up! We've gotta get you showered off and cleaned up! The girls are coming in an hour to help figure out your hair and makeup. Then we've gotta finish fitting your dress! So much to do!"

"Okay, okay, I'm getting up," Maisy sat up and started trudging for the door.

"The bafroom is right over here!" Linn directed her, "Loki says not to leave yet because he wanted to check on somefing with the Allfather. Dunno what."

"Probably to see if my execution has been ordered or not," She groaned, "Although if it had been then he could have just undone the healing and I'd be leaking out of my lindworm holes."

"Yikes. Let's not fink about dat. Get dat blood off of you and we can focus on beautification instead! You're gonna blow away those other girls!"

"If you say so."

* * *

"And were there any witnesses to either of these events?" Odin asked skeptically, leaning on his spear, "Anyone who can prove she did not kill him simply to cover up the fact that she'd interacted romantically with him in the past?"

"Loki witnessed the first incident and the laundresses said Drin was acting aggressively toward her after the second," Thor said angrily, "And why should we not believe her? Drin threatened to kill her in front of all of us."

"The foolish, empty claims of a drunken youth. He would not have actually done it," Another old man said bitterly. Drin's father had insisted on hearing what Thor had to say about the matter of the dead young man. The crown prince had not been able to explain what had occurred until that morning due to the fact that Drin had actually lived through the night. However, his body gave out when morning came and now everyone wanted answers.

"And had he gone through with it would you defend his actions as being drunken and therefore not his fault?"

"One cannot help what one does when under the influence of strong mead."

"Unbelievable!" Thor shouted and Loki winced from where he was watching, in disguise.

His brother was their best hope at clearing Maisy and he was a tad too riled up to be able to convince Odin of the truth. It didn't help that of all the people who could attack Maisy it had to be the chief advisor's son. There was no way that Odin would side with a girl he hated over one of his closest friends.

"Tyr, do not speak nonsense," Odin snapped, much to everyone's surprise, "A man is responsible for his actions, whether they be when he has had too much to drink or not."

"Thank you, Father!" Thor glared at Tyr, "You must see that Maisy's actions were in self defense. Even if Drin was making some sort of twisted joke she thought it to be real - especially with what he has said and done to her in the past - and she thought only to protect herself."

"Or, as the Allfather suggested," Tyr growled, "She knew perfectly well that my son would not harm a lady - if one can classify her as such since she obviously has _no_ qualms about going behind her husband's back-"

"Watch your tongue!" Thor snarled.

"She knew she would not be harmed because she initiated the other 'incidents' and she decided to cover up her actions by silencing my son."

"Father, even if Maisy is not of Asgard, you surely can see that the verdict is obvious," Thor pleaded with Odin, "Drin held a knife to her throat and announced that he was going to drag her off and murder her! Had she not killed him I assure you someone else at the table would have."

"Yes, her jealous husband. The _traitor_ ," Tyr sneered, "I suppose he'd want the affair covered up as well."

"Actually, I referred to myself," Thor said, "I would not have hesitated had Drin attempted to take her from the room."

A silence fell over the room and Thor and Tyr stared each other down for sometime. Loki had some small hope that his brother had gotten through to them, but if he was unable to control his anger then it might not matter. Finally, Odin broke the tense quiet.

"Tyr, my friend, I am sorry that we could not have prevented Drin's actions before it cost him his life, but I do agree with Thor that the Midgardian acted in self defense. She is cleared of all crimes."

He hit the butt of his spear on the floor and began to exit the room. He paused when Tyr spoke again.

"If you believe the lies of your sons then you must know that you no longer have my support, Allfather," the old man sneered, showing no signs of grief, "I resign from my position. I refuse to aid a monarch who would let the son of his friend be killed and not bring justice."

"It would not be justice to execute the victim," Odin said, not turning, "And I refuse to show favoritism in the case of an attempted murder. Your son knew the trouble his actions would bring and he proceeded. He broke the law of Asgard and he paid for it."

With that, the Allfather walked briskly away and Tyr looked ready to launch himself at Thor. But Loki knew his brother could handle one angry old man, so he left the room to go alert Maisy and the others of the good news. For once Odin had seen reason and ruled in their favor. Perhaps it was a sign that luck was with them.

 **A note from the author: Thank you for reading! Just a quick reminder that I have a Deviant Art profile under the name SnowGlobeQueen and that I post character designs there from time to time. At this point I have two designs for Maisy, two for Linn, one for Egil, and one for Drin (boo). Feel free to check it out if you want to see sort of how I picture them and their outfits. :)**

 **Special thanks to the reviewers: CheetahLover, Eliza, and ferbette! You guys continuously bring a smile to my face and I appreciate it!**


	46. Chapter 46

"I told you it wouldn't take eight hours to get ready," Maisy grouched, fully made up with hair, makeup, and dress, "What are we supposed to do for the three hours until the ball?"

"Admire how good of a sewing job I did?" Linn sighed from her seat on the couch, staring dreamily at the dress she'd created.

The young laundress really had done a fantastic job on the gown. It fit Maisy well and she absolutely adored the colors. The main part of the dress was a dark cobalt blue, but the belt and other adornments were the most gorgeous shade of emerald she'd ever seen. Linn had decided to add long, split sleeves, in the same hue as the belt. It had been made clear that none of the women were allowed to dress in solid green, but everyone was allowed to incorporate some into their outfits.

"I saw Princess Aoiba's dress," Linn snorted, still staring at Maisy, "Green and pink don't go together."

"How much green is she wearing?" Sif asked, lounging next to the laundress.

"She's got these real ugly limey colored teeny tiny stripes all over it. Looks stupid," The young girl said, "Plus, it's pretty much see frough past her butt."

"Sheer?"

"Yeah, dat."

"That sounds like an interesting dress," Jane laughed, "Did you see what Die-An is wearing when you unpacked her stuff?"

"It's wacky. I can't believe she's gonna wear a dress!"

"Really?!" The other women all asked.

"Yeah, the skirt bit looks like tentacles! And there's glowy things sewed in!" Linn snickered, "And her shoes aren't even boots! She's wearing these big high heel clog fings!"

"Weird."

"And her green parts?" Sif persisted.

"Not a smidgen."

"Not a smidgen of what?" Loki asked, barging into the room. His gaze caught on Maisy for a moment, "Don't you look enticing?"

"Ew," Jane and Linn said in unison while Sif rolled her eyes.

"Uh, thanks," Maisy blushed and awkwardly moved to sit down so she wouldn't be the center of attention. Before she could sit Linn yelped.

"No! You'll wrinkle it!"

"I can't sit down?"

"No! Not until the feast! And if you spill a fing on it I'll lose me damn mind!"

"Hey!" Maisy and Loki said at the same time.

"Watch it," Loki warned.

"Don't make me wash your mouth out," Maisy teased.

"Alright, here are your weapons for the night!" Natasha announced, coming out of the bathroom, "Loki, so glad you could join us. Get out."

"I've every right to be here."

"How do we know you haven't picked a new favorite and you're just spying on Maisy to tell the other person what to expect?"

"He wouldn't do that," Maisy said.

"Honestly, you are too suspicious," Loki agreed.

"It's my job to be suspicious," Natasha laid out some items on the table, "Come take a look, Maisy."

"Why do I need weapons?"

"You don't think the other girls will be armed to the teeth? I know that Kree chick is going to have something up her sleeve."

"She can't!" Linn chirped, "No sleeves on her dress!"

"Then in her skirt," Natasha replied calmly, "Either way, you're going with weapons."

"Fine, don't expect me to use them very well though."

"So first we've got the clutch," Natasha held out a small black bag with a silver clasp, "It's chameleon tech, so we can color match it to your dress."

"Oooh!" All four other women said.

"It surely can't be more impressive than magic," Loki scoffed.

"Not everyone can do magic tricks," Sif commented.

"The bag is thumbprint locked so tonight only Maisy and I will be able to open it. Anything you need to keep safe you put in here. It's made with Kevlar."

"Oooh!"

"Then we've got your necklace. Tony asked Linn what color to make it so," She held up a dark blue gem on a silver chain, "It should match too."

"Spiffy!" Linn exclaimed, "I wondered why the Man of Iron was asking bout dresses."

"Now, if anyone gets too close to you," The Black Widow looked pointedly at Loki, "And you think they might be about to attack you just push this button on the clasp and close your eyes as you do so. There will be a flash bright enough to blind the attacker for about five minutes."

"Can you get the Man of Iron to make me one?" Sif asked eagerly, "This sounds like a most useful piece of jewelry!"

"I want one too!" Jane said.

"And me!" Linn agreed.

"I doubt Tony will mind. Although," Natasha smirked, "He might if they become popular and his next date uses one on him."

"What else have you got?" Maisy asked as Linn fastened the necklace around her neck.

"You can't exactly carry a dagger around with you without looking obvious, so," Natasha held up a silver cuff that had several segments to it and a blue leather guard on the top and bottom edge, "Push this gem here, slide off the guard, and voila."

The bracelet straightened into a knife and Sif applauded, claiming it to be the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. Maisy was hesitant to use another knife after the night before, but she had to admit it was cool.

"It's like a slap bracelet for murderers!" Jane said and then rubbed her forehead, "I spend too much time with Darcy."

"Whose Darcy?" Linn asked.

"My intern. You'd love her. I'll bring her along next time."

"Anything else?" Loki asked, trying not to sound impressed at the bladelet.

"I've also brought along poison tipped fake nails, stiletto stilettos, hair pin tranq darts, and…" Natasha held up a small bottle, "Good ole pepper spray."

"Um," Maisy looked at the arsenal and picked up the pepper spray, "I know how to use this one."

They took the next five minutes to explain pepper spray to Sif, who was intrigued by the idea until she learned it was not fatal. Linn still seemed interested though, so Black Widow gave her the bottle she always carried around. Maisy had some concerns when she saw the devious grin on her friend's face.

"It's only for self defense, okay?"

"Sure, sure, of course!" Linn tucked the bottle away.

"Oh, and I almost forgot," Natasha held out Maisy's phone and backpack, "You left your bag at dinner last night. Tony snooped and found your phone. He charged it up for you and told me to give you this mini arc reactor thing. It can be used for about a year if you use it sparingly."

"Oh my gosh! Really?" Maisy clutched her phone and the tiny arc reactor like they were infants and she their mother, "Thank you so much!"

"I don't think you'll get service here, but you can at least use the camera function and play a few games, right?" Jane commented, obviously impressed.

"That's more than enough!" Maisy gushed, "I think this calls for a celebratory selfie!"

"A what?" Loki asked, arms crossed.

"Everyone squish together and say 'cheese'!"

"Cheese?" Loki, Sif, and Linn questioned and Maisy snapped the picture.

"Perfect!"

"What happened?"

Maisy showed them the picture. Sif and Linn were smiling in confusion, but Loki was just scowling at the camera, which caused everyone to laugh. Except Loki of course.

"Had I know 'cheese' meant to smile I would have smiled," He said tartly, "Ridiculous Midgardian customs."

"Lighten up," Linn playfully punched him in the arm, "Why'd ya come in here anyway?"

"Well, now that I am allowed to speak," He took Maisy's hand and held it aloft triumphantly, "I am pleased to announce that Odin has sided with us and Maisy is cleared of any suspicion. Drin's father was furious."

"Really?" Maisy asked, looking up at him intently, "Odin took our side?"

"In a remarkable turn of events, it would appear he is not always in the wrong."

"That's incredible!"

"Thor did a fine job of arguing our case."

"Jane," Maisy turned to her friend, "Give Thor a huge kiss when you see him next. He is the best ever."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

Loki was about to put his arm around Maisy, but Linn snapped at him not to wrinkle the fabric so he gave an exaggerated bow to the women and headed for the door.

"I shall see you tonight," He winked.

"I know you're going to be busy with the princesses and warriors and stuff," Maisy blushed a little, "But save a dance for me, okay?"

"I swear to eternally berate myself if I do not."

 **A note from the author: My friends, I've not actually counted the number of chapters that I have written so far, but I have a strong suspicion that we may end up with somewhere near a hundred. I could be over estimating, but I** ** _am_** **still writing it so... it could be a long story. Does anyone know if there is a chapter limit on FF? I may need to break off into a second story if there is.**

 **Regardless, I hope you have enjoyed this chapter and I thank you greatly for reading! Special thanks to ferbette, CheetahLover, and Eliza. I find it truly hilarious that all of you were shocked at Odin making a reasonable decision in the last chapter. Sadly, he doesn't make a whole lot more of those throughout the story.**

 **Until next time (probably tomorrow or the next day if I can manage it)!**


	47. Chapter 47

How odd it was, seeing women trying to impress him by wearing his color. In centuries past balls were generally filled with a sea of red clad ladies, all shoving each other for a chance to talk to Thor. It was unnerving to be the center of attention, but Loki slid into the role as easily as he assumed he'd slide into being king someday.

Princess Aoiba was the first to approach him, wearing a hideous sheer thing that looked a bit like pepto bismol striped with algae. Her brown hair was done up high enough that she was no longer six inches shorter than him, and then had two braids hanging so low that they disappeared into the flowing sheer sleeves of her dress.

"You look dashing," She grinned, "Though I think you ought to try tying your hair back sometime."

"Ah, but then how would I flip it dramatically when things don't go my way?" He teased. At some point she'd likely stop with the small talk and try to ask him to dance, but he didn't particularly want to wait through another hour of weather discussion. "Shall we dance? This is my favorite tune."

"Of course!"

They began spinning around to the rowdy opening music, which was, in fact, Volstagg's favorite musical piece of all time. The royal couple passed the Voluminous and his wife on the dance floor and the bearded man gave Loki the thumbs up. Loki shrewdly put the illusion of a spider on the other man's head and his wife yelped in surprise.

"You have such strange dances here," Aoiba commented, "In Krylor we do not have grand dance parties like this. Ours are much more wild."

Loki braced himself for five minutes straight of comparisons of the different types of dances on Krylor before the song finally ended and he bowed courteously.

"Though I'd love to be in your company longer," he lied, "I must attend to my other guests, I'm afraid."

"Certainly," she giggled so falsely that it just about hurt his ears, "I do think I've angered the Kree girl, Die-An. She does not care for parties from what I hear, but her people wanted her to come and her commander ordered her to partake in at least one dance. She likely wanted it to be the first dance of the evening to get it out of the way."

"Then I shall find her and put her out of her misery. I know too well how boring this events can be for a warrior."

He bid the princess farewell and found Die-An browsing the table of refreshments. She had just stuffed a pastry in her mouth when Loki approached and when she saw him she swallowed without chewing. It was an impressive feat.

"Good evening, Die-An," He bowed stiffly, "Enjoying the food?"

"That is one thing I can commend Asgard on," she said, "Food fitting of fighters."

"Though I do not know if there is any truth in this," he said, offering his hand, "I've been told you'd like to leave as soon as possible, but are under orders to have at least one dance."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Who told you that? Not that I am in any rush to leave. I am perfectly happy here. In the midst of revelry and dancing," her eyes widened and she tried to bat her lashes at him. It was an amusing display.

"So you don't want to dance?"

"I would just _love_ to dance," she bared her teeth in an attempt at a smile and clenched his hand tightly in her own as she lead them out onto the dance floor just in time for the next song to begin playing.

"I know you do not appreciate flattery," Loki said as they cut through the other dancers, "But you do look very nice tonight - whoa! I'd appreciate it if you didn't spin me so fast next time!"

"My most sincere apologies," she nodded, "And my most sincere expression of gratitude."

Considering she'd arrived in full green and white Kree battle armor, the strange octopus dress was a definite improvement. She didn't wear a speck of green, though she was the only contestant who was allowed to wear it in great quantity if she wanted, given it was a Kree color. Instead, she wore a blue squid-shaped dress with red flecks throughout that glowed. Since the dress was only knee length, she also wore black pants underneath that ended at her clog like heels, which also glowed red. The interesting ensemble was topped by a silver headband over her buzzed blue hair and black face tattoos.

"Oh, what an interesting necklace," he commented and she held it up for closer inspection.

"Thank you. It is the sole eye of my long dead father. He left it to me upon his death and my mother had it fashioned into jewelry. It has started the latest Kree fashion trend, I am proud to say."

"Ah."

He couldn't help staring at the eye for the rest of the dance and was relieved when it was over. Die-An patted him on the shoulder and walked away. He supposed that was as close as she was ever going to get to a display of affection from her and he found it oddly endearing. But, just as Aoiba said, Die-An left the ballroom as soon as their dance was finished. She likely wouldn't reappear until she was needed for the lock in later and Loki figured he probably wouldn't see her again until the Bridal Procession the next day.

As he stared after the peculiar warrior woman, he was shocked when a great blur of yellow approached, grabbed his hands, and yanked him onto the dance floor once more. When he had a moment to process, he discovered that the yellow blur was actually Tzefira Softbreeze. She wore mustard colored leggings and matching boots underneath her dress, which was really more of a fitted blouse with a floor length train, as it lacked a front skirt. He was nearly blinded by the shininess of her golden piece of armor, which looked to be a cross between a metal corset and a warrior's breastplate. Her hair was long, braided into many bulky sections, and tucked behind her pointed ears. There was a huge amount of green embroidery covering her yellow dress train, but her puffy sleeves remained untouched by the color.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness," She smirked as they spun at a rapid pace through the ballroom, nearly colliding with Fandral and his date for the night, "I'm Tzefira Softbreeze, and, as my illustrious mother jokes, there is nothing soft about me."

"The pleasure is all mine, Tzefira," Loki gasped, "I suppose you know who I am so I won't introduce myself."

"Fine, fine," she nodded, "But you could tell me a bit about someone else."

"Who?" Generally when someone had asked him to talk of someone else, in past experiences they always wanted to know about Thor.

"Maisy Sichore."

"I'm afraid I can't-"

"See, she hasn't shown up yet. My strategist tells me it's because she wants to make a scene when she enters. Is she the kind of person to do that?"

"No, but-"

"That's what I thought. From what Aoiba was saying, it seems like Maisy is more of a quiet type. I already talked with Aoiba. I'm eighty-percent sure I can best her in a fight."

"Great?"

"Isn't it though?" Tzefira looked around the room some more, "I think I could probably beat most of these people. Not all at once, but maybe ten at once. And not the big names in the building, obviously. I'm not stupid enough to take on Thor, or the Warriors Three. Though, I do think Sif gets more credit than she's worth. I mean, seriously, can she even wield a battle ax?"

"I have no doubts that she could, if the need arose."

"What about Sichore, hmm? Rumor has it she's been here for two months already, getting nice and cozy. Has she tried to sleep with you yet?"

"What? No, why would she?" He was fairly certain the Light Elves didn't know anything about his marriage. Then again, he'd also always heard that the Light Elves were calm, quiet beings who thought over their words before they spoke them.

"I've known some Midgardians in my time," she laughed suddenly, "They only have minds big enough to think about two things. Creating offspring and war. That's why I like them so much."

"Maisy is not interested in either of those things at the moment. She is here purely by accident. She never intended to take part in Taka af Brúðr."

"Really? She must be one of those weaker humans," Tzefira paused for a breath, "Is it true that the Avengers are here? I've wanted to meet them since I heard of them. Earth's Mightiest indeed!" Another bark of laughter, "I doubt they compare to my honorable, dead, friends the Midgardian vikings!"

"The Avengers are here, in fact, I see one now!" Loki subtly shoved her away from him and in the direction of Barton in a tux, "You'll like him, he's better at archery than any elf I've ever met."

"No chance of that!" Tzefira charged off to take hold of Barton and blabber at him for a while. Loki breathed a sigh of relief and disguised himself long enough to go find a drink and perhaps take a seat for a few moments. Even if marrying the girl from Alfheim was the best political match, he hoped she lost.

There was no way he could stand an eternity of being bullied into silence by Tzefira Softbreeze, who indeed, possessed no soft qualities.

As he sat in a corner and sipped on a glass of something fruity, he wore the face of a noble that he'd known wasn't in attendance that night. The face was not that of a popular person so no one approached him. Not until Thor stood directly next to him.

"Sometimes it is better to be the shadow, eh?" Thor remarked.

Loki looked at his brother suspiciously. Surely he couldn't see through his disguise.

"I do not know what you mean, Your Highness."

"Loki, you forgot to disguise your hair."

"Blast," He quickly fixed the problem, cursing his distracted mind.

"As I said, it is often better to be the shadow," Thor sat down, "Even though I loved the spotlight, at events like these you've no idea how envious I was of you."

"Oh really? Having twelve women clinging to you all night long wasn't to your liking?"

"When I was drunk, certainly!" Thor clapped a hand on Loki's shoulder, "But it would have been nice to disappear as easily as you did."

"Perhaps you are right," Loki sighed, watching as Aoiba scanned the crowd for him, "I don't know how long I can stand this."

"And the length of the competition has not yet even been decided!" Thor laughed, "It could be a year!"

"Do not exaggerate."

"Honestly, I looked into it and the last Taka af Brúðr lasted three months!"

"How? What could have possibly made it that long?"

"The prince that was being auctioned off-"

"Use different terminology please."

"The prince who had the honor of being the center of attention had his eyes fixed on one particular contestant and demanded more and more events until she'd scored enough points to be in the top three. And since he did not wish to insult the other two women, he added more events until she was first!"

"He was allowed to do that?"

"Apparently. The prince cannot determine the competitions, but he may decide the amount. His excuse might be that he has not seen enough of the contestants to choose."

"Interesting," Loki stored that knowledge away.

"I would appreciate it if you did not make it last a year, as no one connected to the event is allowed to leave Asgard - except for emergencies - in the time of the contest," Thor chuckled, "And with the Avengers gone, I do not trust their substitutes."

"Who have they left?"

"Someone called Iron Patriot, a friend of Stark's. Another man by the name of Falcon, a friend of Steve's, and some scientists who go by the name The Fantastic Four."

"So what you are saying is that earth is not well protected at the moment?"

"Do not get any mad ideas," Thor warned, "I am under no obligation to stay in Asgard. I will drag you back here and make you marry the Light Elf."

"Do not even joke about such a thing!"

"Speaking of marriage, where is your wife? I have not seen Maisy on the dance floor tonight."

"She has not yet arrived. I believe Jane and Linn decided that she ought to arrive fashionably late," Loki crossed his arms and slouched in his chair, "Though I hope she does not put off coming much longer. I am dying for conversation with a woman who is not obsessed with winning me over."

"Or perhaps," Thor wiggled his brows, "You simply miss her."

"You know, I'd best get back onto the dance floor before someone sends the guards to find me," Loki jumped to his feet and shed his disguise. He approached the Dark Elf queen, who'd been glaring at him from a distance since the ball began. He bowed so rigidly that his waist scarcely bent.

"Trickster," She gave a regal nod, but did not meet his eyes. Her skin was dark as the earth after a long rain, which contrasted sharply with her snowy white hair, brows, and eyes. Dressed in a long, straight, black skirt with a white bodice, it was shocking to see that her white sleeves boasted green leaf designs. Loki would have thought that this contestant would have neglected wearing green due to the fact that she probably hated him. His eyes couldn't help but be drawn to the bright red gems she wore around her throat and on her crown. The color was almost an exact match to that of the Aether and it worried him, even if they were fakes.

"Would you care to dance with me?" He asked, trying to keep the hatred from his voice.

"I do not care to, but I will," Queen Melantha took his hand and they stepped gracefully onto the floor. The band struck up a quieter, more eerie song that fit the mood rather too well.

"I do not mean to be rude," Loki said, not caring if he was being rude or not, "But why have you come?"

"You mean, why have I come to try and win the hand of the man who killed my father and my predecessor?"

"Your father killed my mother and meant to kill my brother," Loki snapped letting the hatred show and then quickly reigning it in, "So I killed him. Though I did not lay a finger on Malekith. That was Thor's doing."

"Your mother? Frigga?" Melantha looked up at him airily, "We both know she was not what you claim."

Loki missed a step of the dance and stared at her.

"You announced yourself on Svartalfheim last year as Loki of Jotunheim," she said, calm as ever, "You didn't think that any spies might have snuck off with that information?"

"So," he said, regaining his composure, "All of the Dark Elves know the secret of Odin's second son."

"Not all. Any who might need to are aware," she looked away from him, "I know that Queen Frigga meant much to you, even if she was not your mother. I am sorry that the Convergence cost us both a loved one."

"That still does not explain why you are here."

"I am here to show the realms that Svartalfheim is not the crippled kingdom everyone thinks we are," she glanced over to her advisors, who watched intently, "We may not be what we once were. Malekith saw to that when allowed our warriors to die in droves. But we are not yet finished."

"You are planning revenge?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"I would show that we are capable of the negotiating, smooth talking, and empty flattery that the rest of the realms partake in to get what they want. Dark Elves do not just fight. We can be civilized too."

"So this is not about getting into Asgard for you," Loki commented, "This is about making connections."

"Precisely. I have no interest in winning you over, Laufeyson," she said so quietly he could hardly hear the burning name she'd called him by, "But I will show our strength in these foolish games and while I'm here I just might make some allies."

She pulled out of his hold suddenly and strode back to her advisors with confidence. Loki watched her for the next few minutes and saw Melantha try to converse with diplomats of visiting realms and planets. Her calm demeanor and biting remarks would have been insanely attractive if her family was not responsible for Frigga's death. It was such a shame that they would never get along.

* * *

There were only two women left to dance with, one of which had yet to arrive and the other was surrounded by her entourage in a sea of orange, red, and black. Loki dreaded going over there and bumping into Belison, so he hadn't made a move yet. And it had been twenty minutes since his dance with Melantha. He was surprised Odin hadn't gotten down from his throne and ordered Loki to go dance with the mysterious Blaze.

He was still wondering what could be keeping Maisy, and beginning to think he ought to go look for her, when the doors quietly creaked open and she snuck in. Her entourage was already here so there was no one to announce her presence to the party, but somehow Loki still spotted her timid entrance. He smiled with relief and was about to go talk to her, but apparently someone else had been watching the doors waiting for her to show up because the moment he made a move to her there was a flurry of orange.

"Well now, Prince Loki," a snickering voice said, "You've been avoiding me, I can tell."

A tall, slim girl with an explosion of scarlet hair and a warm tan stood in his path and put her hands on his shoulders, pulling him onto the dance floor. Blaze winked at him as he scowled and tried to see around her poofy hair. When he managed it he was tempted to shove his dance partner aside and intervene. Another Muspelheim representative was approaching Maisy while she looked the other way.

Loki zapped Sif with a small bolt of magic as they passed her on the dance floor and he tilted his head in Maisy's direction. Sif had no qualms about dropping her partner (some ancient noble) and rushing to the rescue. Unfortunately, she was stopped by a wall of Muspelheim visitors, walking in front of Maisy and the other man. When the crowd passed there was no sign of either.

"Don't get upset at our little ploy," Blaze smirked, "Egil just wants to talk to her in privacy for a little while and then I'm sure they'll be right back."

"What assurance do I have that he won't kill or kidnap her?" Loki snarled.

"Me of course!" Blaze laughed, "To Egil, I am like a sister. His closest friend in our shared fiery world. We are Surtur's favorites and my darling brother _and_ our king would be absolutely furious if anything happened to me. So we did a little trade. My safety for hers. If he hurts her you are free to try and hurt me."

"Try?"

"I'll admit, I bite."

"No doubt," Loki scowled.

Blaze hadn't come dressed for a party. She was wearing low riding red trousers and a black long sleeve top that fit like a corset, but was likely some form of lightweight armor. She had bronze arm guards covering her wrists and black and orange boots, clearly built for battle. There was a bronze necklace around her throat and an intricate bronze and pearl headpiece stuck in her short hair, as if mocking the fact that everyone else was dressed so elaborately.

"So, apart from Sichore, who is your first choice so far?"

"I don't-"

"Don't give me that, prince boy. You know you have someone already picked out for a back up if Maisy does exactly what you know she's gonna and fails. You're a schemer and you already have everyone lined up in order of first to last for who you'd pick."

"You're right," he seethed, "But why should I share it with you?"

"I'm curious," she shrugged, "Besides, we're going to keep dancing until our friends come back _no matter what_ , so we've got to talk about something to pass the time, right?"

"Fine. Are we discussing the order of political gain or the order I'd choose if that weren't an enormous factor?"

"Oooh, that sounds intriguing. Let's go with option two."

"My first choice either way would be Die-An," he stated, "It would not hurt us to have an alliance with the Kree and I find her interesting."

"Really? She's practically bald!"

"So?"

"Whatever, it's not my choice. Continue."

"Personally, my second choice would be Aoiba."

"Princess Snooze-fest? Yikes. You must really hate Tzefira."

"Tzefira would be my next choice, even if I'd likely go insane ten minutes after our vows."

"That leaves you with two people you hate left. Me and Mel."

"Mel?" Loki raised a brow, "And while you are correct, both choices are deplorable, I would choose Melantha. At least she does not make me want to vomit at the sight of her."

"Ouch!" Blaze laughed, "Let's hear it politically now. I know I'm higher up on this list and after that little comment I need something to boost my ego."

"As I said, Die-An is first," His eyes kept straying to the door, hoping Maisy would come back any moment. When he took a long time to continue, Blaze snatched his chin and point his face back at her. He glared.

"Eyes on me, princey boy. They'll be back in due time."

"My second option politically would be Tzefira," He clenched his teeth, "Then you."

"I knew it!"

"Then Aoiba, and then Melantha," He turned to look at the door again, "Where has that man taken her?"

"Why do you care?" Blaze taunted, "From what Egil was saying, you promised to keep away from Ms. Maisy Sichore."

"I still consider her an ally," Loki snapped.

"You mean you consider her a tool," the woman grinned and Loki saw that some of her teeth her pointed like a cat, "You're using her."

"Perhaps I am, but that does not stop me from being concerned over the fact that one of your entourage has stolen her away."

"Like I said, they'll be back. Just keep dancing till then. We don't even have to talk, but I'm not letting go until Egil walks through those doors."

Loki grit his teeth and tightened his grip on her hands so much that it must have been painful, but she didn't flinch. There was nothing he could do to go after Maisy and though he'd been planning on letting Belison have his way anyway, it was still disturbing to think of what might be happening elsewhere in the palace

 **A note from the author: Now that you've met the other contestants what do you think? I'm going to put a poll on my profile for you to vote on which character you like best based on first impressions, just because I'm curious. :) I may also post the designs for the ballgowns on my Deviant Art profile (SnowGlobeQueen) if you are interested at all.**

 **Next chapter we finally get to meet Maisy's ex in person! How exciting!**

 **Thank you for reading! I'm glad that you've stuck with me for 47 whole chapters so far with a long ways to go!**

 **Special thanks to the most amazing people in the world, the reviewers! Thank you ferbette, CheetahLover, nina del carmen, yellowroseofthenw, and Eliza (also, thank you for letting me know that there does not seem to be a chapter limit)! Love you lots! :)**


	48. Chapter 48

She hadn't meant to be quite as late as she ended up being, but Linn had insisted on escorting her to the ballroom. And Linn had also insisted on spying on the crowd of dancers for a little while to see all of the fancy dresses. Maisy, a lover of fashion, had gotten caught up in looking at the swirling ball gowns as well and lost track of time. When she finally snuck in, she had been hoping to go talk with the Avengers about what their plans for tomorrow looked like and then maybe hang out with Jane and Sif for the evening. And, of course, she couldn't help looking forward to dancing with Loki. She felt a little guilty for how excited she was, but in her defense she was at a real life ball and was going to dance with a real life prince.

However, before she could make her way to the Avengers, she was intercepted by a bald man in a bright orange tunic. He put a hand on her waist, but as she began to protest, he surprised her.

"If you want your little pink servant to survive the night you'll come with me."

"You're bluffing!" Maisy squeaked, "I just left her, she's fine."

"We know you just left her, we were watching. We paid off some Kree to snatch her," he tilted his head toward the door, "So if you don't mind coming in silence."

Maisy shut her mouth and let the man lead her out of the room. He then led her to a hidden hallway that the servants likely used and opened what appeared to be a janitorial closet. The man gave her a mighty shove and she stumbled into the closet only to have the door closed behind her.

"What's the big idea?!" She shouted, "Let me out of here!"

"He isn't likely to do that any time soon," a voice from the darkness said, revealing that the closet was at least deep enough for two people to fit inside comfortably. Maisy wasn't focused on that tidbit of information though. She was more interested in the fact that she recognized the voice.

"Egil?" She inquired of the darkness. There was a sound like someone snapping their fingers and an orange flame danced a few feet away. It illuminated the face of someone Maisy had hoped she wouldn't run into that night. He tossed the flame above their heads, where it floated and lit up the whole space.

"Hello Maisy," he smiled.

"Egil, what in the world is going on?!"

"I just wanted to talk with you."

"And you couldn't do that in the ballroom?" She'd always hated arguing with him, but this time she was too irritated to care.

"Too many ears listening in," he stepped forward and she stepped back, bumping into the door, "Plus, in here there isn't much place for you to go so I'll be able to get out all of what I need to say without you running off."

"Then hurry up and say it!" She snapped.

He frowned a little and took another step. Taking her left hand in his, he held it up so that her ring shone in the light. Maisy swallowed nervously and Egil's eyes lit up with pain.

"Explain this to me. Please."

"I, I was dying. Some giant lizard - lindworm - attacked me on the bus. Thor happened to be nearby and saw that I wasn't in very good shape so he took me here and asked Odin to save me. He wouldn't so Loki married me and Odin couldn't refuse to save a member of his family," she tried to pull her hand away, and succeeded, but Egil slipped her ring off as she moved.

"So it was not for love? And he did not force you to do it?"

"No. May I have my ring back?"

"Tell me," he tucked the ring in the pocket of his black leather jerkin, "What is your opinion of your husband?"

"He's a friend," She answered hesitantly, "He's just trying to help me."

"Doubtful. He always has some scheme in mind," Egil reached out, but didn't touch her, drawing his hand back before he could, "You say a lindworm attacked you?"

"Yeah. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you? You know, given the fact that you're from Muspelheim. Where lindworms live," she inhaled sharply, "Egil, you're a freaking alien! What the hell?!"

"I couldn't have very well told you, could I have?" He shot back.

"No, because that would have ruined whatever master plan you had! Couldn't you have just left me alone? I didn't want to get mixed up this kind of thing with magic and heroes and space! I just wanted to finish my schooling! And have a normal boyfriend!"

"I'm sorry that you got dragged into this mess," he lowered his gaze, "I'm sorry I sent that lindworm for you."

"It _was_ you then?"

"Yes. It was never meant to harm you. Simply to retrieve you."

"Why? For this stupid thing?" She opened her clutch and tossed the black and white bracelet at him, "Take it and get out of my life then!"

"What?" He looked at the beads, "This doesn't have to do with anything."

"Oh yeah? Loki told me you put some kind of spell on it. If this isn't what everything is about then I don't understand what you want!"

Before she could react, he shot forward and grabbed both her wrists, pulling her closer to him and forcing her to look up at him. An infuriatingly hopeful smile played at his lips.

"The spell on the bracelet was meant to comfort you. It has no power except to calm it's wearer," he pressed his forehead against hers, "This was never about anything but you."

"You're lying."

"You know that I wouldn't lie to you," his smile vanished for a moment, "That trickster has been turning you against me, hasn't he?"

"Egil-"

"Hasn't he?!"

"He's been making logical guesses about why you would request I be given to Muspelheim if I lose," she said, "And after finding out what kind of person you are, I was inclined to believe his theories."

"What kind of person am I?"

"A criminal!"

"True enough, but not on earth. Not while we were together," he dropped one of her wrists and held her face carefully, "Whatever _he_ has told you, I am not orchestrating this whole event just to get back some trinket. I'm doing it to get you back to me."

"Why?!" She tried to pull away, but hit her head on the door.

"Because I love you. What other reason would I have?"

"But we're over," she tried to explain it to him, "We broke up. We're through!"

"That does not mean I've stopped loving you," he chuckled, "And I know you haven't stopped loving me, so do not try and deny it."

"Egil, no," she squirmed some more, but he had her effectively pinned to the door, "I _did_ love you. And maybe I still do a little bit, but we've got to be done with each other. You were going crazy! You punched that guy! You were angry at other dudes all the time! It wasn't good!"

"I was protecting what was mine," he stated simply.

"I'm _not_ yours!" She shouted and his hand covered her mouth.

"Be careful, someone might hear you and find us," he whispered, "And I hate to break it to you, but yes you were. Things are different in the world I come from Maisy. On Midgard I had to tread lightly. And I didn't mind, but here and in Muspelheim you'll find there is a new set of rules to play by."

"What are you talking about?" She gaped at him when he removed his hand.

"You called me overly possessive when you broke up with me," He said, moving so close that his lips brushed hers when he spoke, "I call that normal behavior. Especially after I had a vision of you."

"What? A vision?"

"The Asgardian princes have no doubt informed you of my parentage," he smiled, "The Vanir tend to have prophetic powers. I can see snatches of the future."

"That's why you took us out of New York right before the attack," Maisy's eyes widened, "Because you knew it was coming."

"Exactly. And some time back I had another vision that a man would steal you away from me and cause your death," he scowled, "That's why I changed. I couldn't risk anyone taking you away and killing you!"

"That's why you punched that man?"

"Yes. And it's why I'll make sure the trickster stays far away from you. He'd never venture to Muspelheim," Egil smiled once more, "And you will be safely mine."

"No, Loki wouldn't hurt me-"

"Are you certain? He threatened to kill Linnea when he thought she might compromise his plans. He doesn't care for you. If you stay with him you'll be dead at his feet when you've lost your use to him. That is why you must lose this competition."

"You don't know that it's him though. It could be some other guy!"

"He's already taken you away from me, half of my vision complete," Egil had tears brimming his eyes, "All that is left is for you to die. But I won't have it. I'll take you back."

"This is too crazy!" She shook her head, "You're making this up! You just want something from me."

"No," he murmured, "All I want is you."

Even though he'd been close enough to her that she should have seen it coming, she was still surprised when his lips gently locked with hers. He let go of her other wrist and wrapped his arms around her, crushing her to him. And as they stood there she realized how much she'd missed him.

He'd been the first person she'd ever really loved and she missed seeing him almost every day. She missed how when they'd gone more than a week without seeing each other he'd run to her upon their reunion, pick her up, and laugh as he swung her around. Just like in the movies. And when he'd set her down she dove in for a kiss, much like this one. She missed watching stupid movies with him and braiding his long hair while they commented about how unrealistic the chick-flicks were. She missed when she was studying for finals and he'd surprise her with pizza, or Chinese, or shockingly terrible homemade food. She missed walking hand in hand with him in Central Park and feeding pigeons. She missed him waiting outside of class for her to walk her back to her tiny apartment. And how he'd always yell "breath check" before a big day and kiss her, saying "you're good". In that moment she missed all of the little moments she'd had with him.

So she put her hands on his chest and kissed him back, not caring that she was squished between him and the door of a janitor's closet. She certainly didn't care about the fact that the man in the orange tunic was probably standing outside and rolling his eyes at the thumps the door made as Egil pressed her against it. Honestly, she didn't worry about much of anything except his lips on hers. Not until her fingers brushed his pocket and she felt the outline of her ring there.

Guilt pooled in her stomach in the same way that she remembered blood doing when she'd been dying. It nearly made her sick and she attempted to jerk away from him. Her head hit against the door so hard that she yelped in pain. Egil, apparently, wasn't paying much attention and when her lips were not easily accessed his mouth trailed down her cheek to her neck. Maisy, have no other options, grabbed his face and pushed it away from her.

"Get off!" She gasped, breathless, "Egil get off of me!"

He complied, his eyes dancing and a smirk playing at his mouth.

"What? I know a broom closet isn't the most romantic location, but we've been at it for a few minutes already. Why stop now?"

"Let me out of here."

"Why should I?"

"Because this is wrong," she shoved him away more and he was so drunk on their kiss that he didn't stop her, "We're through. I'm, I'm _married!_ "

The playful expression drained from his face and he stepped closer once more.

"A fact we will soon have to remedy," he said in a voice so cold that it hurt Maisy to hear it, "Don't worry, he will never know. Odin will never know either so you don't have to worry about being killed over this."

"Just let me out of here, okay?" She reached for his pocket to slip the ring out, but he grabbed her hand and stopped her, "I'm not with you anymore. You need to let me go. Now."

"You're upset," he agreed, "Tonight is a night high on emotion. Tomorrow you'll be seeing more clearly. We shall talk after the procession. We will sort everything out."

"There is nothing to sort out! I may have loved you, but I'm loyal to Loki," she snarled, "If you don't let me out I'll scream until someone finds us."

"Fine. But we will talk tomorrow. Like it or not," he knocked on the door and the orange tunic man opened it enough for Maisy to tumble out onto the floor. Egil stepped over her and she was hit in the face with the orange cape he was wearing. It probably messed up her hair, but at this point she didn't feel like going to the ball anyways. She just wanted to get away from everything.

So she picked herself up off the floor once Egil was far out of sight and she ran to the garden where she and Loki were allowed even through his probation. She grabbed a wooden ladder that was propped up against a tree in an artful fashion and she dragged it over to the garden wall. Climbing up, she looked down at the other side of the wall and just about fell off the ladder in shock. There was nothing but a thousand foot drop.

She hadn't considered the fact that she hadn't gone down any stairs. From the moment she'd seen the place she'd assumed she was on ground level and not on some bizarre garden balcony. Come to think of it, the only place she'd known with one hundred percent certainty that she was on the ground was in the vegetable garden that Loki had been working in. The only way to get there was to take an elevator down to the servant's level and find an outside door. And with so many strangers lurking about tonight, Maisy completely lost her never to run away.

She hadn't known where she was going to run to anyway. Perhaps the Rainbow Bridge to find the person who operated it. She could ask whoever it was to send her back to earth, but that wouldn't do any good because the moment she was discovered missing Odin would undo her healing and she'd been dead. There was no way for her to leave Asgard, or even the palace without causing trouble.

So, she trudged back to hers and Loki's room, one agonizingly slow step at a time until she arrived and collapsed on the floor. Her tears were quick to come, as she'd been holding them back since Egil had left her on the floor. Rather than cry silently, as she'd been planning, she couldn't hold back the sobs that shook her whole body. She hadn't cried this hard since - well, the previous night, when she'd killed Drin. But before that she hadn't cried this hard since she woke up and found that her mother had left her without even a goodbye.

After half an hour her tears were spent and she was still curled up on the ground, right in front of the door. By this point Linn would be furious with her for wrinkling her dress, but Maisy could barely think of Linn beyond hoping Egil had allowed her to be let go.

A little while later she realized that the ball would be coming to a close in a short period of time and Loki would be coming home. She didn't want to talk to him about the events of the evening and she certainly did not want him to walk in and find her like this. To avoid both she knew she would have to leave the room. So she pulled herself up off the floor and went to the bathroom to change. Her black pants and shirt were dirty with sweat from training and her ex-curtain dress was in the wash. That left only the five red dresses that Madame Veru had given her and the one brown one. Choosing the last option, she got changed and washed her face of the smeared makeup. She took her hair out of the elaborate half-do, but she didn't take off the blinding necklace or the dagger bracelet. On a night like tonight she wanted some form of protection and she'd left her purse with her pepper spray in the closet.

She should have used something on Egil, she knew she should have. But despite everything he was still a guy who she had feelings for. And she couldn't hurt him.

Writing a quick note and sticking it to Loki's pillow, she ran from the room. She didn't know where she'd hide, but it had to be somewhere he wouldn't look for her. Someplace he couldn't storm in and demand an explanation. There was no way in the nine realms that she was dealing another man's meddling in her life until the next day.

There was one place she knew that no one would look for her at, mostly because she didn't know where it was herself. So she stopped and asked a passing maid, who was suspicious.

"Why would you want to go there?"

"I left something there," Maisy lied, "I'd like to get it back."

The maid shrugged and gave her instructions on how to get to the desired location. Maisy thanked her and practically ran the rest of the way. She felt like Cinderella when the palace clock struck the hour - even if that hour wasn't midnight - because the chiming and the fact that the halls were beginning to become congested with finely dressed nobles, signalled the end of the ball. Luckily, Maisy reached the place she'd been aiming for before she bumped into anyone familiar. And even more luckily, the door was unlocked and she slipped right in, locking it behind her.

No one would find her here. Not in Drin's empty abandoned, possibly haunted room.

Congratulating herself on her cunning, Maisy opened the trunk at the foot of the bed, pulled out a musty smelling blanket, and laid down on the couch. Even with Drin dead, there was no way she'd sleep on his bed. The couch suited her just fine. Besides, it provided the opportunity for her to bury her face in the back of it and shed a few more tears of frustration.

 **A note from the author: I'm not sure that I like this chapter so much. I had fun writing it, but it didn't turn out exactly how I wanted. Oh well, it serves its purpose and hopefully provided you with some entertainment! :)**

 **Thank you for reading! Don't forget to vote on the poll on my profile!**

 **Special thanks to the reviewers: CheetahLover, Eliza, and ferbette! :D**


	49. Chapter 49

Even if Maisy's drawing hadn't been alarmingly accurate, Loki could not have mistaken Egil Belison for anyone else when he walked in the room. The confidence on his face and the burning red in his eyes gave him away. That and the fact that he strode directly up to where Blaze and Loki danced and escorted Blaze away without a word. Loki moved to follow and ask where Maisy was, but Tzefira got in his way and he was off dancing again.

By the time he'd danced with each of the contestants a second time it was declared that the women would be taken off to the room where they were all to spend the night. There was no sign of Maisy anywhere and Loki had a sick feeling in his gut. Egil could have done any number of things to her. She might be halfway to Muspelheim by this point.

So when he was finally free of the ball, he stormed over to Belison and grabbed him by the collar of his black shirt. Most people had abandoned the ballroom so no one was there to convince Loki to smother his temper.

"Trickster," Belison grinned, "I thought you might try and have a chat tonight."

"Where is she? What have you done with her?"

"Who?"

"You know damn well who," Loki seethed. He loosened his grip on the other man when Blaze joined the conversation by way of poking Loki's chest with a short sword.

"I talked to her for awhile and then I let her go. If she wanted to come back to the festivities then she very well could have. Perhaps she is not so intent on winning this game as you thought she was."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because there are a great deal of points attached to attending every event," Blaze replied cheekily, "I'm giving up just a few so I can see how this little interaction goes down, but it won't hurt my score in the long run because I'll actually show up to the slumber party."

Learning that Maisy was free to go wherever she wanted, Loki pushed Belison away from him and stormed off to his room. Surely she'd be there, readying herself to go to the lock-in event. She'd probably just lost track of time.

However, when he practically broke his door in she was absent. In a fury, he tore apart her nest to make sure she wasn't there and then flung open the bathroom door. Her blue and green dress was hanging up in there but she was nowhere to be seen. It took him longer than he would have liked to admit to find the note on his pillow.

 _I'm fine. Don't freak out or anything. Everything is fine I just need some alone time for a little while or I might lose my mind. I'll see you after the procession tomorrow. If you see the Avengers tell them I'll meet them where and when we decided._

 _-Maisy_

 _P.S. Don't do anything stupid like kill anybody._

Not a clue as as to where she'd vanished to. Obviously she didn't want him following her. Which was exactly what he wanted to do. Because Egil had done something and now she needed to recover and that meant she definitely was not fine.

"Blast Maisy, you couldn't have at least told me where you're meeting the Avengers?" He set the note down on the table and sat down glaring at it. He supposed he could try some sort of tracking spell on it, but it might not work considering she'd used paper from his desk. The spell normally tracked the owner of the object, so if she'd used her sketchbook paper then he could have found her easily, but with his own stationary it wasn't likely to give answers.

There was nothing he could do but sit up all night and worry.

 **A note from the author: I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, but I promise Chapter 50 will be much longer. I hope to upload it tonight, but we shall see how that goes. Thank you so much for reading!**

 **And my biggest expression of gratitude to those who reviewed: CheetahLover (let's just say that Loki does not react particularly well when he finds out what happened) and ferbette (Egil really is not right in the head and if you'd believe it he only gets worse from here). You guys are the best!**

 **I'd also like to thank the two people who have voted on the poll on my profile! I'd love to see more votes on there if anyone feels like it! :) So far Melantha is in the lead for favorite competitor.**


	50. Chapter 50

"You look awful," Tony Stark commented as Maisy trudged into one of the Avenger's guest rooms. She wasn't sure whose.

"Yeah, sorry," she yawned, "Long night."

"What? Did the other contestants snore?"

"Other…? Crap!" Her hands flew to her face in horror, "Crap, crap, crap! I totally forgot!"

"Well it's nice to see that you are putting effort into this thing," Tony rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, Stark," Romanoff said, "You okay, Maisy?"

"Just tired. Let's get down to business," she yawned again.

"To defeat the huns…" Tony whispered and Maisy couldn't help but grin. That lead to a full on belting out of the song from _Mulan_. Followed by several other Disney songs as they got Maisy ready for the procession and Natasha explained exactly what she had to do. Tony and Clint continuously interrupted with non sequitur verses from _A Whole New World_. Steve, Bruce, and Jane tried to keep them from being annoying, but there wasn't much that could be done.

"Maisy?" Tony asked suddenly as she was going over the plan once more with Natasha.

"Yes, Mr. Stark?"

"You know, I was taking a look at your phone the other day," he pointed to her backpack, "And I have to say that I find some of your music choices questionable."

"Just because she doesn't have any AC/DC or Black Sabbath doesn't mean her choices are questionable," Clint commented.

"Not only does she not have music by the greatest bands of all time, she also has a _huge_ amount of Taylor Swift songs!"

"So what?" Maisy laughed.

"Really? No shame there? Okay, each to his own," Tony shrugged, "Anyway, it got me thinking about music. You know no one else is going to have any, right?"

"Well, I kind of doubt the arena has speakers," Maisy said.

"But my suit…" Tony grinned and gestured to the iconic red and gold armor in the corner, "Anyway, I was thinking we could play a little something for you when you come in. I was thinking maybe _Thunderstruck_ , but that's kind of more Thor's theme, right big guy? Oh, yeah, he's not here."

"Nope," Maisy giggled.

"Then I was thinking _Back in Black_ , since you are wearing black to this thing, but that didn't feel quite right either," He sighed dramatically, " _Highway to Hell_ would make the Muspelheimians too confident, _Ironman_ is mine so don't even think of touching it, _Evil Woman_ doesn't really fit you because you've got the personality of Tinker Bell or something. So then I was thinking _Fairies Wear Boots_ -"

"Get to the point, Tony," Steve groaned.

"I finally settled on the fact that I don't know you well enough," he pointed at her, "So what song pumps you up? What's going to make you feel as cool as, well, Iron Man when you walk through those doors?"

"Um…" Maisy went over to her backpack and scrolled through her workout playlist, "How about this?"

"Wow, really?" Tony shrugged again, "It's overconfident, presumptuous, and kickass. It's perfect."

"Sweet. Now if you don't mind, now that I'm ready to go and kick some butt, can we talk to Fandral before we go to the arena?"

"We've got time. I don't see why not. Why do you want to talk to him?" Natasha asked.

"I, uh, need his help with a hair issue," She gestured to her bleached blonde hair with the dark roots showing, "It'll be great."

The Avengers shrugged and they headed out.

* * *

"Thor!" Loki called, sliding into the royal booth, right at the front of the arena. Odin, who was talking with a Kree ambassador, and Thor were already seated and the chair in the middle remained open for Loki. He ignored it for the time being to question his brother.

"What?" Thor asked, sneakily hiding the snack he'd brought with him.

"Have you seen Maisy?"

"No, she has been with my friends and Jane all morning."

"Blast. I need to talk to her," Loki sat down, sitting in the chair as he did any chair and pretending it was throne, "Something happened last night. Something involving Belison."

"We will be sure to go to her as soon as this is over," Thor said, "We've much time before it begins though and Father tells me that we are meant to mingle with the representatives of the realms."

"Must we?"

"I was putting it off until you came," Thor admitted, "But let's go and mingle."

They walked out of their box and went to talk with the nobility from Alfheim for a bit. Quite a few of the Light Elves had shown up to support their warrior and they all seemed excited to watch the Bridal Procession. Next Thor and Loki went to the box of Kree visitors. It was awkward so they left as soon as possible. Then onto the Krylorians, who all babbled about how beautiful their princess was and what good qualities she possessed. The princes avoided the boxes of Svartalfheim and Muspelheim entirely, though they knew if their mother had been there she would have insisted that they were diplomatic to everyone. The only booth they had left to visit was Midgard.

In the box there sat the American president, the British prime minister, Nick Fury and a few others. Fury shook Thor's hand and glared at Loki.

"What's 'True Power' been up to these days?" He asked and Loki sneered back.

"Wooing earthen women mostly."

"Wooing?!" An outraged voice to the left of Fury exclaimed, "I swear, there better not be any wooing going on or I will shoot you!"

Loki looked to the source of the voice and raised a brow. There was a man dressed in flannel and jeans. His brown eyes were bloodshot and he was practically shaking with anger.

"Ah," Loki smiled smoothly, "Mr. Sichore, I presume?"

"Damn right!" The man growled, "Where's my daughter?!"

"Maisy-"

"That's Ms. Sichore to you, alien scum!"

"Actually, by earth terminology she'd be Mrs.-"

"Mr. Sichore!" Thor interrupted, "How pleasant to see you again! I was surprised to hear that you were coming!"

"Someone has to protect Maisy from all you alien filth. This place is crawling with creeps! Look at those things over there! They're blue! And those ones are pink!"

"And I'm black," Fury commented, "Does that bother you?"

"No, no! I've got no problem with your kind," Maisy's father snapped and the president and prime minister exchanged awkward glances.

"Mr. Sichore," Fury said, "You aren't needed here. We could send you back home."

"You know," Thor tried once more to be the peacemaker, "We haven't had this many different realms and planets represented since the last Council of World's meeting a century ago! Isn't this incredible?"

"It is indeed, Thor," the president nodded, "I hope you and your father don't mind, but we brought a documentary maker with us to film some of the experience of earth's first official intergalactic excursion. It's quite an event!"

"That is wonderful! Should you need anything be sure to let one of the palace staff know and they should be happy to cooperate."

"Thank you. And maybe you and your king could sit down with the documentary maker later for an interviewer?"

"Of course! I fear my Father would not be able to do so, but I know of several other Asgardians who would enjoy helping you!"

"Pleasure meeting you," The president said and the British prime minister agreed. Everyone shook hands with Thor (except Maisy's father) and nodded at Loki only somewhat suspiciously.

"One question before you go," Mr. Sichore grabbed Loki's arm as he turned away.

"What?"

"Do you lay eggs?"

"Hahaha!" Thor forcibly pulled Loki away as the other Midgardians all groaned and apologized for Mr. Sichore's question, "That is hilarious! Good bye."

Loki allowed Thor to lead him away and back to their box, but he wouldn't have minded leaping into the Midgardian box and slitting Maisy's father's throat. He was a truly annoying and aggravating man.

"I wonder how he would react if he found out that my skin is blue too," He snickered as he sat down, "You should have let me tell him that his grandchildren would be half Jotun. He would have died of a heart attack."

"Grandchildren?" Thor raised a brow, "Is Maisy-?"

"Norns no. She hates it when I even hold her hand," Loki looked back over to Mr. Sichore and waved patronizingly, "But he doesn't know that."

They were cut off by trumpets sounding the beginning of the procession. Odin finished speaking to the Kree man and turned back to his sons.

"It looked as if you might have been causing problems with the Midgardians, Loki. What did you say to them?"

"He didn't do anything, Father," Thor objected, "Maisy's father is in attendance and he is a bit… uh… what word would you use Loki?"

"Racist."

"I was trying to avoid that particular word," Thor hissed and then smiled at Odin, "He is not open to different things, but I'm sure he won't cause problems."

"A father often inflicts his wrongs into his child's morals," Odin commented and Loki had to hold back a snide remark, "How do we know that Maisy is not similarly intolerant?"

"Because we know her?" Thor laughed, "Honestly, Father, she's been here for two months."

The trumpets blared again and all three men fell silent as the lights lowered so much that the indoor arena was almost in total darkness. Then out of the tunnel that all the contestants would enter through a bright light temporarily blinded the audience. A quickly growing pounding of war drums greeted the watchers and out of the darkness Tzefira, sparkling in gold, yellow, and scraps of sky blue, did handsprings into the middle of the arena.

Loki rolled his eyes and settled in for some flashing lights, as the Light Elves liked to show off the fact that some of them could create and control light. Apparently Tzefira was one of them. The display was impressive, but after a few minutes it became boring to watch her flip around, throwing weapons at things and blasting the audience with light. When the drums finally came to a stop and the girl landed a few feet away from the royal box with a flash. Loki clapped enthusiastically with everyone else. Tzefira grinned at him and had the gall to wink.

She paraded with her entourage over to the the box of her realm and jumped the railing to sit next to her mother, the chief of the Air Elf tribe. There was a moment between performances as some herald introduced Tzefira and all six members of her entourage.

Then Aoiba started her performance. There were many pink fluttering scarves and butterflies and things and gentle flute music. Then she strode in in her dark pink and cobalt battle gear with her hair in four complicated knots bobbing around her smiling face.

Everyone clapped, but no one expected her to actually do well so it was noticeably quieter than the applause for Tzefira, who the people of Asgard seemed to be rooting for.

Again the herald read some names and then the room echoed with chanting - all of the Kree visitors joining in as Die-An entered the room. She didn't dance, flip, or sashay in. She simply walked to the middle of the room, surrounded by her entourage. They were all dressed in Kree battle uniforms of dark green and white. Die-An was the only one whose outfit boasted a cape and she was the only one who didn't wear a helmet, revealing the fact that she had shaved off the fuzz on her head and was now completely bald. Her black face tattoos stood out as her eyes scanned the room. She was the only one not chanting and when the voices came to an abrupt stop she let loose an impressive howl and slammed the end of her electrified spear into the ground, sending currents of energy through the arena and making hair stand on end. Then she walked toward her box.

Loki glanced over at her and saw her smile shyly in his direction before her commander swatted her shoulder and she was all focus again. It was impossible not to notice that she was wearing an impressive necklace of eyes, which all glinted under the bright lights of the arena.

After the herald had done his job the quiet mutterings of the crowd were silenced when an unexpected snake of red lightning cackled out of the tunnel. There were three more snaps of lightning and Loki could sense Thor getting tense next to him. Obviously the older prince wasn't afraid of lightning, but he knew of it's destructive powers better than anyone and seeing his element thrown around with no sign of the wielder made him tighten his grip on Mjolnir.

With one more red flash of lightning, Melantha stepped out of the tunnel. Her entourage stood silently behind her, all in the white masks that the Dark Elves favored to wear in battle. Melantha's face remained uncovered, but she still wore the bulky white and black armor of her people, with her long hair in two white braids down her back and a silver circlet on her head.

"Where is the lightning coming from?" Thor whispered, mostly to himself. Loki thought it a good question and watched the entourage to see if they were creating it with some sort of device. They had their answer when Melantha took her place at the center of the room, raised her arms and let loose. An impressive dome of red sparks surrounded her and lit up her fierce expression.

The Asgardians all shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Lightning was _their_ weapon, or so they'd come to think with Thor flashing it around all the time. The Dark Elves were their enemies and they liked to think of them as powerless without Malekith, but evidently Melantha was as powerful a mage as her predecessor, if not more so. And she certainly had a flair for dramatics.

"They do not possess that kind of power," Thor hissed to Loki, "And why, pray tell, does her magic share the color of the Aether?"

"It could be a coincidence," Loki commented, not believing it for a second. His mind flashed back to her red jewelry the night before. It was impossible that the elves had kept the Aether, as someone was sent to check on the powerful force twice a month in its chosen hiding place. Yet here was Melantha, exerting a power that was an uncomfortable reminder of the days around the death of Queen Frigga.

When Melantha finished her poignant display the herald seemed to be too shocked to go through the list of names. Not that anyone particularly noticed, being wrapped in their own thoughts as they were. Loki grit his teeth and looked over to where the young queen sat proudly in her chair. While her face was a perfect mask of calm, he could see the way her eyes kept jumping to Odin's face. Loki turned to look himself and found that the old man was as pale as a ghost and looking rather furious.

As it became apparent that the herald wasn't going to do his job from spite or shock, the show moved on. Loudly.

Blaze and her entourage strode out of the tunnel with swords made of fire held above their heads. They were all shouting at the top of their lungs and grinning wildly. Apparently there was a large amount of people from Muspelheim in the crowd for this first event because the calls from the floor were answered by loud screaming from the audience.

When they knew they had everyone's attention, Blaze and Egil faced off in the middle of the arena, blades raised and smirks set in place. With another yell she lunged for him with such grace and speed that Loki almost missed it. Egil was more than a worthy opponent, but not nearly as fast. Blaze fenced circles around him and just when it looked like her friend might get a leg up she shoved him to the dirt and proceeded to fight and defeat all of her entourage. Clearly staged, since Egil wouldn't allow himself to be beaten so easily, but impressive nonetheless. Because if this was Muspelheim pulling their punches then it left everyone to wonder just how good they were on an actual battlefield.

When everyone was sure the impressive show was wrapping up, Blaze handed her swords off and raised her hands in the air. Raw magic appeared to blast from her palms and punch two holes in the ceiling. Loki would have been more worried about this sudden development of magical powers if he hadn't seen Egil, hidden by the others in the entourage, perform the same actions and exert the magic that did the damage. Blaze had done nothing but raise her arms and smile.

With a final deafening roar, Blaze bowed so low that she fell into a summersault and rolled right up to the royal box. Without warning, she stood up and grabbed Loki by the collar. He snarled at her and prepared to fight, but she just yanked him in for a kiss, leaving him sputtering and Thor chuckling quietly beside him. The crowd screamed some more and with a wink, Blaze flounced over to her seat and dropped into it cross legged.

Loki angrily wiped off his mouth and cursed himself for allowing such a thing to happen in front of so many people. Both Odin and Thor seemed more amused than alarmed, which only fueled his anger. He sincerely hoped that Maisy had something in store that was so impressive that everyone would forget about the kiss.

When the lights lowered once more and somewhat techno music started playing from the tunnel Loki smirked. With Stark coordinating her entrance, it was certain to be unforgettable.

* * *

Maisy took deep breaths, shaking as the lights went down and the music went up. With his suit in stealth mode, Iron Man had already crept out to play _Ready Set Let's Go_ by Sam Tinnesz and with the opening notes Maisy already felt herself getting pumped up.

With one more deep breath and a quick check to make sure her hair was perfect, she signalled to Bruce nervously. He nodded and the startling transformation began. Natasha was standing nearby, ready to calm him down if things went haywire, but the Hulk only smiled at Maisy and put her on his shoulders. The other Avengers grinned and rushed out onto the arena floor.

Maisy couldn't see what they were doing, but Tony had said they'd make an impressive show with their skills and gear, getting the crowd to forget about the last performance and clear their minds for "the epicness that would be Maisy". She hoped she could live up to that, but even sitting on the Hulk's shoulders she doubted she would make it through this without wanting to vomit at least once.

When the crowd began to cheer a little, Maisy tapped Hulk's shoulder and he barreled through the tunnel and burst into the arena with a roar that made Muspelheim's yells sound like dogs yapping. It got mixed reactions, some people cheered wildly, and others gasped and fell silent. Maisy didn't have the courage to look at Loki, but after his last encounter with the Hulk she doubted that he was excited to see the creature again.

The music grew louder and Maisy mouthed the words to it as she braced herself for what came next. _Ready set, ready set let's go…_ The Hulk launched her, flailing just a little bit, through the air and she did her best to let her daggers be seen, but it didn't look nearly as impressive as she'd hoped. Ironman swooped in and grabbed her arms, lifting her up for all to see, which made her extremely anxious and feel a little bit like baby Simba from _The Lion King._ Then, with an elegant descent, Tony set her down right in front of the royal box and shone a light from his suit right at her. When Maisy looked at Odin he seemed to disapprove of her new green hair, but when she dared to look at Loki he was smiling so widely that Maisy would have been scared if she didn't know him better.

Hawkeye shot two arrows on either side of her which shot off green fireworks and Maisy bowed, feeling like some circus performer or something. She'd done it. She'd done it. She'd done it and all she had to do now was make it to her seat with the other Midgardians without incident and the whole terrifying event would be over. Easier said than done.

She tripped over her own feet twice, once in front of the Alfheim box and the other time right in front of Muspelheim's. Then, when she finally got to her seat she panicked because her dad, of all the people in the nine realms, was scowling at her. Then there was a roar of defiance and it appeared that Hulk was refusing to turn back into Banner and decided to come and sit in the Midgardian booth as himself. It was alarming, but at least it kept Mr. Sichore from saying anything.

When the other Avengers finally climbed into their seats and had gotten Hulk to stop pouting, the audience was laughing quietly. Tony turned off the music and gave Maisy two thumbs up before the herald turned the lights back on and started talking.

"And for Midgard, we have an entourage of the Invincible Ironman, Black Widow, Hawkeye the Archer, Captain America, Jane Foster, and the Incredible Hulk!"

Jane had really just walked around and fired a T-shirt cannon at the crowd. Maisy hadn't seen the shirts, but Tony had assured her that they were awesome and he'd designed them the moment Thor had told him about Taka af Brúðr.

"And our Midgardian contestant: Maisy Sloane Sichore!"

A few people cheered and Hulk decided that he wanted to join in, so he clapped and shouted, which immediately shut up everyone else in the audience.

"Woot woot," Maisy whispered to herself.

"And now a few words from the Allfather, the gracious host of this regal competition!"

Odin stood and faced the crowd.

"I thank you all for attending the Bridal Procession to begin the journey of Taka af Brúðr. Asgard welcomes you and is glad of your presence. The first event to prove the merit of these women will be held tomorrow at high noon. They shall engage in a tournament of hand to hand combat. No weapons allowed."

"Crap," Maisy whispered and Natasha gave her a reassuring pat on the back.

"A luncheon feast has been set in the great hall of the palace for any who wish to partake in food, drink, and merry making," Odin announced and then sat back down, "Go and eat."

"Hulk doesn't need to be told twice," Hulk said and began lumbering toward the door.

"I've got to go calm him down," Natasha apologized, "But we'll meet in the training court this afternoon to discuss tomorrow, okay?"

"Great, sure," Maisy nodded and watched the Avengers congratulate her and walk off. She thought that she'd better join them before Egil caught up to her, but she was stopped when her father stepped in her path.

"Maisy."

"Dad!" She smiled, laughed nervously, and gave him a quick hug.

"Maisy, what the hell?!"

"What?" She knew exactly what he was pissed about.

"How did any of this happen?" He growled, "How did my little girl get mixed up in all of this?"

"Dad… there was this lizard thing that attacked me," she did her best to explain the situation to her dad, given that Thor had already told him most of the details she knew he wouldn't be too shocked.

"So that monster man that attacked New York married you?!"

"Loki," Maisy nodded, "He's not as bad as you'd think, I swear, he-"

"And now you're competing to keep him?"

"Yeah, because otherwise-"

"I don't care about the 'otherwise'," he snarled, "You're quitting and coming home this instant."

"I can't leave, Dad!"

"Yes you can, and you will. This instant. We'll go back to that shiny portal thing and ask that man to send us back."

"She actually, really can't leave," Loki slid up into the booth and wrapped and arm around Maisy's shoulder. She was both relieved and horrified that he was there. Now she had back up, but her Dad was likely to make a huge scene now.

"Get away from her!"

"Nice to see you again too," Loki pulled Maisy closer to him and tugged gently at a strand of her hair, "Maisy, I must say I love what you've done with your hair. It really suits you."

Her hand automatically flew to her now emerald colored locks and she smiled a little. Her moment of happiness was squashed when her father's attention was brought to the new color.

"That's a wig, isn't it?" He demanded, "Take it off, it looks ridiculous."

"It's not a wig, Dad," she replied calmly, "We talked about this when I turned eighteen, remember? I can dye my hair whatever color I want."

"I don't see what's wrong with your normal hair color. Isn't natural good enough for you?"

"It's fine, but it's more fun to have different colors," she decided not to pursue the subject further, "So, I guess you two have already met. Incase he didn't tell you, Loki, this is my dad, Josh Sichore."

"Josh is it?" Loki offered to shake hands, but Mr. Sichore refused.

"Maisy, let's go. I told you that we're leaving this alien place. Before you get some sort of weird disease or something."

"I _can't_ leave!" Maisy tried once more to explain, "Odin will kill me if I leave!"

"Not if he can't find you."

"No, he still could," Loki commented, "He'd undo the healing that saved Maisy's life and she would bleed to death, likely in a matter of minutes. A person doesn't usually survive that kind of trauma twice."

"What is he talking about?!"

"If I leave I die," Maisy said, "So I can't leave."

"Then you'd better try your hardest to lose this thing," Mr. Sichore growled, "So you can come home safely."

"I'm afraid someone else has already laid claim to her if she loses," Loki replied bitterly, "Muspelheim wants her as a prize. So Maisy's two options are stay here, married to me or be sent to Muspelheim and have Norns know what happen to her."

"Musclehead? They're the ones with the fire, right?"

"Yes."

"Why do they want her?"

"It's complicated Dad, but it would be much worse if I went with them. And if I win then Odin might allow me to visit you sometimes!"

Mr. Sichore pondered it for a moment, looking Loki up and down and then finally held his hand out. Loki shook it.

"Fine. You are the lesser of two evils and I am not stupid. You at least seem to like Maisy. Better not like her too much or I'll shoot you," Mr. Sichore warned, "And once this is over we'll figure out a way to get her safely home. Without you."

"I'm sure that would be the best outcome for everyone involved," Loki nodded, "And once this competition is over we will do our best."

"Good. Now Maisy is coming with me to stay in my motel while I'm here."

"I'm sure your inn would be lovely, but another one of Odin's rules is that she must stay with me."

"Wha-"

"Don't freak out, Dad. He's a perfect gentleman. He takes the floor and everything! He's great!" Maisy hated lying to her dad, but she'd rather do that than have him burst into the palace and shoot Loki or something else crazy.

"He better be," Mr. Sichore pulled his daughter away from Loki, gave her a hug and turned to go, "Well, that one eyed guy said something about food so that's where I'm headed. We'll talk later."

"Bye Dad, love you!" Maisy called and then dropped back into her chair with a huge groan when the man left.

"Why do I have a hard time believing you when you say you love him?"

"No, I do! He can be a horrible person, but he knows that and he's working on it. You're just seeing the worst of him because he's freaked out about this whole situation and worried about me," she closed her eyes and sighed. When she looked at him again he decided to sit down next to her.

"You did splendidly. And I really do like the hair. How did you pull that off?"

"Well, I've been meaning to dye it again anyway so I asked Fandral if there were any spells that could make my hair green for a few months. He helped me out so we're stuck with this for awhile," she picked at the green chiffon that decorated her otherwise all black tunic, "I thought it would match this nicely, and these!"

Loki looked at her feet when she pointed and noticed her dark green boots for the first time.

"Odin was fuming," he commented, "I think he's upset that you pretty much were claiming that green was the color of your household. He probably would have preferred you wore something more like what Captain Rogers had on."

"As cool as Steve is, I don't think I'd want to borrow his costume," She laughed.

"Did you see Muspelheim's show?"

"No, what did they do?"

"Blaze kissed me!" Loki threw his hands up in indignation, "And Thor and Odin could only laugh!"

"That's terrible!" Maisy exclaimed, "Did she say anything?"

"No, she just walked right up to me, grabbed my collar, and kissed me! In front of everyone!"

"Yikes!" Maisy said, trying not to think of her own kiss the night before, "I'm really sorry about that. You okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Good."

"So," Loki said putting his hand over hers, "Where were you last night? What did Egil have to say? Did you give him the bracelet back?"

"Ugh…" She looked away and stared up at the two strange holes in the ceiling, "I should have guessed you'd ask about that."

"Well I saw his man drag you off, I want know what happened."

"I don't think you do," she grimaced, "I don't really want to talk about it, okay? I told the president of the United States that I'd meet him for dinner, so I should probably go get ready for that-"

"Maisy. Tell me what happened," Loki snapped, suddenly getting the feeling that he would want to go kill Egil when he heard the truth, "I won't let you leave that chair until you tell me."

"Hey, don't be like that," she said, "I've already had to deal with enough of that from him."

"What did he do?"

"He just wanted to talk," Maisy pulled her hand out from under his and wrapped her arms around herself uncomfortably, "So he had me tossed in a closet with him."

"A closet?"

"Yeah," she looked toward the exit, wanting desperately to leave this conversation behind, "And we talked."

"About?" Loki pried, "Did you give him the bracelet?"

"I tried. He didn't want it."

"Did he say what he did want? Perhaps we can bargain with him-"

"I don't think that's going to work," she looked down, "If he really wants something from us then he isn't saying what it is. All he'd say is that… he says he wants me back."

"That must be a lie-"

"How do you know?" Maisy asked, finally looking at him, "I know you don't find me attractive, but is it that hard for you to believe someone else likes me? Maybe he just wants me for me and not for some evil scheme! Maybe he sees me as more than a tool!"

"I never said I didn't find you attractive," Loki commented, in a harsher tone than he meant to, "And though in some wild fantasy it could be the case that he simply wants you back, you do not know him like Thor and I do. He must be using you for some machination."

"I don't know him?" Maisy scoffed, "I was his girlfriend for two years and we were friends in school before that! I think I know him a little better than you do!"

"Do you? I think that he has you deceived, Maisy."

"If he doesn't like me, then why did he kiss me last night?" She growled, "Why did we spend a good five minutes liplocked?!"

As soon as the secret was spilled her hand flew to her mouth to keep anything else from spilling out. She thought her heart stop beating in the few seconds it took for Loki to react and when he finally did she jumped out of her seat and backed away from him.

"You did _what?!_ "

"I, I, we didn't-" she swallowed nervously, "I ended it."

"After a 'good five minutes', I'm sure you did," he snarled, feeling the betrayal curl in his gut. Of all the things he'd been expecting to hear about the previous night, he supposed this should have been one of them. And, truthfully, he had been expecting to hear that Egil had made some advance toward her, but the way she said "we", as if she'd wanted it just as much as the man from Muspelheim had. It filled Loki with stronger emotions than he would have liked. He'd tried to keep from getting overly emotional with any business attached to Maisy. After all, they were only friends. And only that because it was necessary. But something about this filled him with such rage that he could barely collect himself, so he stopped trying. There was no one else around to witness it anyway. The others had all gone to lunch with the crowd.

It was just him and Maisy in the arena. The perfect place to let loose.

"After all that I've done to keep you alive," he sneered, stepping closer, "All that I've done to prevent Odin from throwing you in some gutter. After taking care of you for these past two months, you did _what_ exactly?"

"He had me cornered," she tried, "Forced me to do it."

It was a futile attempt. She knew he could see right through her lies and she quickly hopped the railing of the box so she'd have more room to run if it came to it.

"Did he? You know, if I were in your position I wouldn't be bragging about it and using it as an excuse for him if your moment of affection really was unwanted," Loki jumped the railing with ease, "So perhaps rethink your story and tell me again what happened."

"Loki," putting her arms up peaceably, she tried again, "Listen, I just, I didn't mean to. And then it was happening and, and I hadn't seen him in so long. I don't want to admit it, but I missed him, okay?"

"Evidently so."

"And there was no way Odin was going to find out, right? I, I didn't think you'd care if _you_ found out," she tripped over her own feet as she was backing up and fell to the ground, he continued to advance until he was standing directly over her, "I know you said that one time with Drin, but, but I thought that was more because you wouldn't want anyone to find out! I didn't think you'd actually care if I kissed somebody - the other night we were talking and you said if I fell in love with someone else you wouldn't care - not that I fell in love with Egil again! It was just a few minutes!"

"You're rambling."

She pushed herself up onto her elbows and tried to scooch back, but didn't make it far before he grabbed her arm and hoisted her up.

"Loki, I'm sorry! I really am, but I did end it, okay? I told him to stop and that we were through," she gasped when he pulled her closer, "I mean, I know you would be irritated, but it's not like you'd lose anything big if I was taken to Muspelheim!"

"That's where you're wrong," he snarled, so close she could see flecks of blue in his green eyes, and oddly, flecks of red, "I'd lose something that has become rather important to me."

He was internally cursing himself. He shouldn't have gotten this worked up. It wasn't like she meant all that much to him, was it? She was right. It would be a small matter if she were taken to Muspelheim. Away from Asgard. Away from him. Blast, this was no way to be thinking. Not when she was this close to him. Not when their mouths were so close to each other.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, "I'm really sorry."

Loki let go of her arm and tried to get a lid on his temper. It was no small feat.

"As am I," he finally managed, "You are right. I told you I did not mind if you found someone else. I don't. And you did end it with him so I cannot hold this incident against you. I am sorry."

"Thanks," she breathed as he took a step back.

"Please forgive my outburst," he rubbed his eyes tiredly, "It has been a long morning."

"Of course," she turned to go, "I'd better catch up with the Avengers."

"I shall see you later," he nodded.

"Oh Loki," she bit her lip, looking back him, "For the record, I don't want to go to Muspelheim. I'd rather stay with you."

And with that she ran from the arena and didn't look back.

 **A note from the author: Woo-hoo! Chapter 50! And the pace of things has started to pick up a bit, I do believe! This story may be the longest thing I have ever written and I am truly grateful for everyone who is reading it and enjoying it with me. So thank you to everyone who has been reading and everyone who reads this in the future and pretty much anyone who sees these words. You are lovely, lovely people.**

 **As always, a special shout out thank you to some of my favorite people on this site, the reviewers! Thank you very much CheetahLover and ferbette!**

 **I won't be thanking the academy, I promise, but I would also just like to thank the four people (whoever you are) who voted on the poll on my page. It would seem Melantha is popular with you all even if she is not liked by the people of Asgard. ;)**

 **Okay, I will stop now.**


	51. Chapter 51

Blast.

As he watched her run from the arena all he could think was "blast" over and over again. And a few other, less polite terms of frustration. When she was gone from his sight he paced the arena floor for a bit, waves of green energy rolling off of him and knocking over a few things. Finally he sat heavily in Odin's throne like chair and propped up his chin with his fist.

"Blast!" He hissed to himself.

He continued to try and remind himself that Egil Belison was not a person to pick a fight with. Egil Belison had destroyed whole planets because of a temper tantrum. Egil Belison took out the ships of bloodthirsty pirates like the Ravagers because he wanted a laugh. Rumor had it that Egil Belison had challenged Surtur and nearly won the last time he'd lost a girl he fancied. If it hadn't been for Surtur's other loyal servants backing him up Egil would have been king of Muspelheim. He was not a being to be trifled with.

Loki had been resolved to allow Egil to have Maisy back if he really wanted her because otherwise Asgard - and Loki - might suffer his wrath. He'd been so ready to give Maisy up because he'd thought he wouldn't ever get overly attached to her. He still didn't like to think that he was, but there was something that clawed at him when he thought of her going back to Egil's embrace.

He wasn't in love with her. That was a ridiculous notion and he wouldn't entertain it. Nor was he infatuated. No, it was a feeling he was familiar with and he easily recognized it when he took a moment to think on it. Jealousy.

Maisy did not tempt him more than she should, no, he didn't have any particular desire for her to be his. But he certainly didn't want her to be Egil's. But what reason did she have to stay with him over the man from Muspelheim? Sure, he'd saved her from death, but Egil had spent more than two years' time getting to know everything about Maisy. What her tastes were and how she liked to spend her time. All Loki knew was that she was interested in making clothes.

It didn't matter if the reason for his discontentment was mere jealousy. He wouldn't go to war with one so powerful over envy of a girl. He couldn't. Well, he _really_ shouldn't. But… her quick smile, brown eyes, and now emerald hair kept flashing through his mind and the twisting in his gut intensified. Perhaps. Perhaps he could attempt to sway her to stay. She already said she'd prefer it that way. All he had to do now was outdo her ex boyfriend in attempts to win her over.

"It doesn't matter," he shook his head, standing up, "This competition will make the decision for her."

Still, if she truly wanted to go back to her ex then all she would have to do is give up. She could fumble every event, lose, and go to Muspelheim. So if Loki really wanted her to stay then he would have to fight for her.

"Blast."

* * *

She wasn't sure of the way back to the palace, but the building was the tallest in the city so it wasn't that hard to head in the general direction of it. When she got to the gate she nodded to the guards, who she'd met a few times, and proceeded. She had plans to go to the lunch, but those plans went south when she stepped into the hallway that led to the feasting hall and bumped into Egil's muscular chest. When she tried to back up he grabbed her wrists and gave her a kiss on her cheek, just like he used to when they'd first started dating.

"I told you we'd talk," he smirked when she pulled away, "Don't act so surprised to see me."

"Let go of my hands please," Maisy ordered calmly, not making eye contact.

He complied, but that didn't stop him from touching her. He brushed her somewhat messy hair out of her face.

"Honestly," he tutted, "Green really isn't your color, love."

"I think it looks nice and my opinion about how I look is really the only one that matters," she was sure she'd gotten that from one of her step-mother's self help tapes that they listened to on every family car ride, but she didn't care.

"It is so obnoxiously bold. The other contestants were muttering about how it should have been against the rules," he tugged gently on a strand and that one piece turned a dark black to match his own. Maisy slapped his hand away, "Apologies. I just thought I'd make my own mark on my-"

"I'm not yours!" She hissed, starting to stomp past him and feeling quite badass in her boots, "I'm not anyone's, I'm just showing team spirit. Keep your hands to yourself, Egil."

"Not anyone's?" He scoffed, catching up with her easily, "Did you not hear me when I said we're playing by a new set of rules here? On Midgard everyone is 'equal', right?"

"As it should be, yes," she snapped, still stomping.

"And that is a lovely notion that I found quite endearing," he nodded, "But the truth is not everyone is equal. Those with power can and ought to rule over those without. That is the way of most of the realms outside your own."

"So? What does despotism or survival of the fittest whatever have to do with our relationship?"

"Odd as it may sound to you and others of your race, in Asgard, Muspelheim, and the more advanced of the realms, the same rules apply to romantic and familial relations," he gestured to himself, "The most powerful of the group rule the weaker ones for their own good."

"What do you mean?"

"Though there is no law, it is the common view that the stronger half of a couple _owns_ the weaker half. On Midgard a couple belongs to each other equally. Here, you belong to me."

Maisy stopped in her tracks, tripping a little as she did so. She turned to glare at him.

"You're making that up. That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

"Alright, perhaps it is not as true in Asgard as it once was, but when we are in Muspelheim-"

"No!" She shoved him when he moved closer, "That's ridiculous!"

"Am I not more powerful than you, Maisy?" His gaze darkened and orange light crept up his arms like fire.

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Then you are mine." He said it as if that was case closed, but it only served to make Maisy angrier.

"Even if that were true we aren't in a relationship, are we? So for the last time: _I do not belong to you!_ "

She hated shouting, she really did, but there were times when it felt like the only way to get a message across. It still didn't look like this memo had sunken in.

"Perhaps not now," he seethed, "But you will. By the time this wretched competition is over you'll want nothing more than to come running back to my arms."

"You're wrong," she began walking again and he kept pace, "I don't know why you are so different, but you've changed and I'm not coming back to you anytime soon. Besides, you probably just want me for some stupid evil plan!"

"You still choose to listen to him over me, do you?" He stepped in front of her with a pleading expression and wrapped his arms around her waist. She tried to pull free, but he was stronger than she remembered.

"Why wouldn't she?" Loki's voice said as he swaggered around the corner and shot something bright and green at Egil's face, making him fall back, dragging Maisy down with him. He let go of her when they hit the ground and she scrambled away from him.

"Trickster," Egil snarled, "When we last spoke you seemed content to stay out of my business. What changed?"

"Loki, it wasn't what it looked like," Maisy quickly assured Loki, "We weren't doing anything."

"Weren't we?" Egil snickered, getting up off the floor.

"Lurking in the halls to catch another man's wife off guard?" Loki crossed his arms, "How ungentlemanly, Belison."

The word "wife" seemed to trigger Egil and he immediately grabbed Maisy's wrist again and tugged her against him with an angry scowl.

"She's not your wife. Not truly."

"Maisy, have you shown him your scars?" Loki asked casually.

"My scars?" Maisy shrugged and tugged the collar of her black tunic down over one of her shoulders and then the other to show Egil. His face drained of color and his grip on her loosened.

"These aren't… they can't be from…?"

"Your lindworm?" Loki smirked slightly, "Yes, they are. There is an even bigger one on her stomach. You caused that to happen to her, Egil. And you wonder why she no longer trusts you."

"Maisy," Egil stared at her and she grit her teeth and clenched her jaw. She would not cave after hearing whatever apology he was about to give her. When his kind and loving face turned to her with nothing but concern on it she almost broke down and told him that she forgave him. Which she did somewhat, she wasn't used to holding grudges, but sending a giant monster after your ex because you wanted them back was a little bit hard to swallow.

"Maisy," he pleaded, tears quickly filling his eyes, "I didn't mean for it to do such a thing - I only wanted to take you back to Muspelheim to talk. How could I have known the creature would harm you? He was perfectly tame!"

"He attacked a bus," Maisy pointed out, crossing her arms to hide the fact that her hands were shaking, "And if you wanted to talk then you could have texted me or called or something. It's not like I would have refused to get coffee with you or something. Even if I did break up with you."

"I just - it seemed the best way…"

"Loki's got a point," she said, inching closer to the aforementioned, "How can I ever trust you if you won't even respect that I broke up with you?"

"I do respect that-"

"No! You don't! You keep saying we're going to get back together when we're in Muspelheim and everything. You sent a lindworm to kidnap me!"

"But surely you can't trust the self proclaimed 'god of lies' over me? Can you?" He tried to laugh it off.

Loki put a gentle hand on Maisy's shoulder. She tensed up.

"Belison," Loki said shrewdly, "You nearly killed her. I _saved_ her. I've never harmed her. Never put an unwelcome hand on her."

Maisy decided not to mention that all of the times he'd wrapped his arm around her for their public appearance hadn't exactly been welcome. It wasn't like she'd told him to stop anyway.

"But you are no better a man than I, trickster," Egil seethed, taking a step forward and cautiously taking up Maisy's hand, "Maisy, please. Come away from him. You know me. You know I would never hurt you on purpose."

"I don't know that," she snapped, hastily pulling her hand out of his and raising her voice, "I don't know that at all! And I don't really want to deal with you two having hissy fits right now."

"Exactly. Let's go to the luncheon," Loki smirked, starting to lead her away. Much to his surprise she ducked away from him with a glare.

"I'm not in the mood to deal with _either_ of you right now."

"Maisy," Loki sighed.

"Love, you can't just ignore this problem," Egil made another move for her but she turned her back on both of them and began walking away.

"I'm not ignoring it!" She called over her shoulder, "I'm procrastinating dealing with it!"

Loki and Egil watched her go and glanced at each other.

"Look what you've done," Egil growled, "You've upset her!"

"You know," Loki crossed his arms, "I don't think I was the one to upset her. Afterall, I wasn't the one who cornered her in a closet and cast a nostalgia spell over her."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I could sense it lingering on her. You cornered her and cast a spell on her to make her think only of your good times together. That's not playing fair, Belison," Loki smiled. He'd removed the last remnants of the spell when he'd put his hand on her shoulder.

"Playing?!" Egil growled, "You think this is some sort of game? Of course you do, that's your whole bit isn't it? Games and tricks and little white lies. You enjoy playing with her, don't you?"

"Taka af Brúðr is a game."

"But my feelings for Maisy Sichore are not," Belison stepped closer and shoved Loki a little, "You said you'd cooperate. So do so. Maisy is losing this competition and she is coming home with me."

"Actually," Loki sighed, knowing that he wouldn't be able to take back what he was about to say, "I have reevaluated the situation."

"What?"

"I don't like the idea of letting you take her."

"You must be joking, trickster. Do you know who I am? Have you heard the things I've done?"

"I have," Loki nodded and snapped his fingers. Egil was suddenly on the floor and Loki was leering over him, "But as impressive as your reputation may be, I think you've forgotten mine."

"Your plans might have been more intimidating, but you've never succeeded," Egil sneered, trying to get up, but finding himself magically held down. Loki relished the fact that his magic was stronger than the other man's and he decided to keep him stuck there for a bit longer.

"No, I suppose you're right, but that's because I've had bigger obstacles to deal with. That is the difference between you and I."

"And why is that?"

"A small dog might bark incessantly, but no one worries about chaining him up. It is the wolf they must prevent from getting loose, for once he does… well you saw what I did to the Dark Elves. And the Midgardians. And the realm of our fathers."

Loki grinned as sinisterly as he was able and began to walk away. He knew he should probably give Maisy some space, but if he really wanted to convince her to stay with him over Egil he'd have to get to work right away.

"I hope you know what you are getting yourself into, you Asgardian fool," Egil spat, still struggling to get off the floor, "I will not hold back when it comes to ending you!"

"Nor will I, Belison, nor will I."

 **A note from the author: I hope you enjoyed that chapter! Just to warn you, pretty much every time Loki and Egil see each other in this story they are trying to cunningly argue with each other... and Maisy is usually in the background rolling her eyes.**

 **Thank you for reading and special thanks to the guest reviewer, CheetahLover, ferbette, and Eliza! Your words are always so kind (or** **sarcastically hilarious)!**

 **Until next time! :)**


	52. Chapter 52

There was a light knock on the door and Maisy ignored it. The knock sounded again, but she continued to ignore it, sitting on the couch with her sketchbook in hand. She was glaring at the picture of Egil. When the person at the door knocked a third time she irritably tore the drawing out of her sketchbook and ripped it in half. Then she got up and opened the door.

"Wha…?" She gasped when flowers were pushed toward her face. The pollen made her sneeze and she saw that the person behind the flowers was Loki.

"Sorry," he tossed the flowers onto the table and conjured a tissue instead.

"What are you doing?" She asked, taking the tissue and blowing her nose, "What are the flowers for?"

"My way of apologizing," he smiled sheepishly and Maisy had a hard time believing it wasn't an illusion. He was never sheepish about anything. At least, not since their first meeting.

"Flowers, really?" She looked at the bouquet and found blue roses. The shade of blue nearly matched the color on her dress that had been intended for the ball.

"Yes. Is that not what husbands do when they've made their wife angry?"

"Yeah," she rubbed one of the petals between her thumb and forefinger. It was softer than any flower she'd ever touched before, "But you probably don't even know why I'm angry. Plus you're probably still angry at me, right? For the stupid thing last night?"

"True," he slunk closer to her and she tried to ignore the fact that her heartbeat picked up, "I am rather peeved about that, but I know it was not entirely your fault. He manipulated you. Not to mention he put some sort of nostalgia spell on you to make you think fondly of him."

"You're just telling me that to make me madder at him than I am at you."

"To be honest, I do not know why you are mad at _me_ to begin with. Did I not defend you?"

"Yes, but you and him were so busy arguing about what I thought that neither of you seemed to care about my opinion," she stepped away and went back to the couch, gathering up the torn picture before he could see, "And I realized that I really can't trust either of you."

"I am sorry for not considering your thoughts more," he said, following her over to the couch, "But do you really think you cannot trust me?"

"Can I?" She asked. He didn't answer right away and she sighed, pulling her hair back into a spiky little ponytail, "Can anyone? I mean, I thought you and Thor were really close and then the other day you were talking about 'hypothetically' killing him!"

"I've joked about killing him since we were small children!" Loki laughed, "It is just what brother's do, is it not?"

Maisy raised an eyebrow, but didn't answer. She tucked her sketchbook in her backpack, but she caught Loki staring at it curiously. Perhaps he'd snoop through her things later and find the ripped picture. That would be just like him.

"No offense Loki," she faced him full on, "But you don't seem like the kind of person to care about anyone but yourself. I mean, you're this big, scary, alien, prince-warrior guy who has always got a plan, but the plan doesn't seem like it helps anyone but you."

"I can see how you would think that," he admitted, "It is true that I rarely care about people. I do not like to rely on others. Plus, if you get attached then you have to worry about their safety and then some enemy might use them as a bargaining piece and then you're vulnerable and-" He cleared his throat, "But I make some exceptions."

"Yeah?" She asked quietly.

"My mother, for instance," his face became sad, "And then… she was killed and…"

"You thought you wouldn't be able to function ever again?" Maisy asked, "That's how I felt after my mom left us."

"Precisely," he broke eye contact as if caring about your mother was something to be ashamed of, "And I swore I'd never go through such a feeling again. So I try not to… bond."

"I get that," Maisy nodded sympathetically, "But I still don't know if I can trust you. I mean, why would you care about me in any capacity close to how you cared about your mom?"

"I do not know if I do. But I would have you know that you can trust me. I have no villainous plans in store for you. Why would I? You tumbled into my life and you've been a good ally to me. I hope you can say the same of me."

Maisy swallowed and noticed that he'd moved closer. When had he moved closer? He was only about a foot away. She quickly stepped over to the table and nodded with a small smile.

"Alright, I believe you. I'm not one hundred percent convinced you won't toss me to the wolves if it makes things easier for you, but I trust that you aren't _currently_ planning on using me for anything."

"And you know I would never do anything to promote Egil Belison," Loki put his hands on the table as well, "But I am sorry if I was wrong and he does not actually have plots for you either. I didn't mean to make you feel as if you are not worth moving the realms for."

"I know I'm not, but thank you," she lifted the bouquet, "And thanks for these."

"Yes well, even if our marriage isn't exactly conventional, let no one say I am not a good husband," he grinned a little.

"Best I've ever had," Maisy laughed and she noticed a peculiar sparkle in his eyes. The same gleam that meant he was planning something. Of course, after the speech he'd just given she decided to ignore it and hope it was just a trick of the light.

"And you know, just to continue to spoil you, I'll even let you have the bed tonight."

"Oh no, no!" She blushed, "Don't worry about it! I'm used to the floor."

"Ah, but you see, I'm not even being generous. I need to go to the library tonight. Thor and I are meeting to discuss something. I shall be out most of the night and if I return before daybreak I will simply collapse onto the floor."

"What are you guys discussing?"

"What else? Muspelheim," he ran his hands through his hair, "Egil was under the impression that we would give you up easily. I may have shattered that illusion when we spoke a little while ago."

"Uh oh."

"So now Thor and I intend to think of someway to appease Muspelheim and Surtur," Loki waved it away, "Don't worry about it. Thor is eager and I am clever. We'll think of something."

"Okay," Maisy grabbed a decorative vase and put the flowers inside. She took it into the bathroom to fill with water, "You know, there is still a whole afternoon left. I think I'm going to go train with Sif and the Avengers. See if I can pick up any hand to hand fighting tips."

"Good idea. Listen to Romanoff over all else, she is closest to your size and strength."

"Solid. I will do that."

When she exited the bathroom she put the vase down on the table and then looked up to find him smiling softly at her. Wondering if there was some joke, she smiled back hesitantly.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing, nothing," he turned toward the door, "Simply admiring your hair. It is a thoughtful gesture."

"I uh, yeah," suddenly flustered, she reached up to touch her hair, remembered it was in a ponytail and ended up scratching the back of her head awkwardly, "I'm glad you like it."

"Have a productive training session," he bowed a little to her as she stepped out after grabbing her water bottle, "I know you should probably spend as much time with the Avengers as possible, but I was wondering if you would care to have dinner with me tonight. Here. Just us."

"Oh! Yeah, that'd be cool! Sure!" She regarded him curiously, wondering what he was up to and why he was suddenly being so nice, "Kay, see you then!"

"I shall count the minutes."

"Ha, yup, me too!"

With a few more awkward laughs and blushes, she trotted off to the training arena, her stomach filled with butterflies.

 **A note from the author: Good news, my friends, I am getting close to completing this story as far as writing goes! Obviously I've about a billion more chapters to upload, but I've almost finished the writing! I am so excited for you to read the rest of it and I hope you enjoy it immensely as I post it! :D**

 **Thank you for reading so far and HUGE thank yous to CheetahLover, Eliza, ferbette, and nina del carmen! You are amazing!**


	53. Chapter 53

**A note from the author: Fair warning, I've more fluff for you. Before the line break this chapter is pretty pointless as far as plot is concerned, but it's fluffy! So if you like fluff I hope this is up to par! :) Enjoy!**

He admired his work smugly. Truly, he'd gone all out for dinner. Partly because it was so nice to have his magic back, and partly because he was intent on impressing her now that he'd already told Belison he was planning to keep Maisy. Perhaps he was getting carried away, but Loki never did anything halfway.

When Maisy came back from training he hid his work with an illusion of nothingness. The room appeared to have white walls, floor, and ceiling with no furniture. Maisy gaped at the emptiness and looked at him.

"Um… what happened to our room?" She asked, cautiously stepping in and closing the door behind her. The door vanishing into the whiteness, "Oh crap, that's freaky! This whole place looks freaky!"

"Sorry, I did not want to spoil the surprise until after your shower. Please, proceed. The bathroom should be normal," He waved his hand and the bathroom door appeared where it normally was.

"Ooookay…" She stepped through the bathroom door and found the lavatory was how it appeared on any given day, "You sure you don't want to explain this first?"

"No. Just take your shower. It will be all ready when you are done."

Maisy shrugged and locked the bathroom door behind her as she always did. Loki lifted the whiteness from the room and fixed a few finishing touches on his set up. Then he decided he'd perfect the illusion by dressing himself in Midgardian clothes. A black suit worked nicely and now he felt that everything had come together just as he'd wanted it to.

"Hey, you expecting me to wear this black dress?" Maisy called through the door after the water stopped.

"If you wouldn't mind," Loki replied.

"Okay then. It's pretty, where'd it come from?"

"Linn borrowed it from Agent Romanoff."

Maisy finally stepped out of the bathroom. Her eyes widened as she took in his illusion. He'd made the room resemble a fancy Midgardian restaurant he happened to crash through during the Chitauri invasion. It looked much bigger than the room was, but there was only one table, right where their table normally sat. Of course, now it was covered with a tablecloth and fancy dishes.

"Whoa," Maisy looked around the room, "How did you do this? This is the Rainbow Room, isn't it?"

"How?" He snapped his fingers and the gorgeous room turned back into their bedroom, "Magic, obviously."

He snapped again and the room turned back to what was apparently called the Rainbow Room. He hadn't gotten a great look at the place when he'd flown his chariot through the window and then right back out, but he'd been impressed and had thought the place might be an interesting spot to investigate if he succeeded in defeating the Avengers.

"I went to a fashion show at the Rainbow Room once," Maisy was looking reverently at the conjured New York skyline out the faux windows, "Well, I didn't exactly _attend_ it. I got the highest score on a test in an undergrad fashion class and my professor arranged for me to hand the models their handbags as a reward. It was the coolest thing ever."

"I thought you might like the elegance of the place," He grinned, walked up to her, and offered his arm, "You look enchanting."

"You don't look so bad yourself," she looked him up and down, "Very chic!"

"Thank you?"

Maisy laughed and he led her over to the table, which appeared to be in the middle of the circular dance floor. They both sat down and Loki clapped his hands. There was a loud crash from somewhere unseen and then their door opened up exactly where it normally was, which meant it seemed to show up out of thin air. Linn poked her head through and rolled a rattling cart into the room.

"Ma'am and sir," she said exaggeratedly, "Your dinner!"

"What are we having?" Maisy asked.

"The leftovers from the kitchen!" Linn lifted the lid off of the plates with a flourish to reveal Asgardian food, "Best I could do on short notice."

"Looks great."

"Thank you, Linn," Loki tilted his head toward the door. Linn lingered for a moment longer, admiring the room and the dining couple before winking boldly and leaving.

" _Do_ have too much fun, okay?" The laundress took one more glance around and then giggled and left.

"She seems… excited," Maisy picked up her fork and poked at the food, "And this looks delicious."

"Do you ever miss Midgardian food?" Loki asked.

"Not at first I didn't, it was fun to try all of the stuff here," she raised an eyebrow when he magicked a wine bottle onto the table, "But that's the way it was my first year of undergrad too. The dining hall was so new and exciting and then after a couple of months I missed homemade food."

"If you could have one thing from earth to eat what would it be?" Loki poured the wine, "We can ask Thor to retrieve it on his next trip."

"Uh… I do not know. I'd say chocolate chip cookies, but if I wasn't too lazy to cook I could probably make those here. So I'd have to say New York bagels - ooh! Or coffee! Man, I miss coffee."

"Bagels and coffee? Noted. I shall tell Thor."

"Thanks, that would be awesome!" She smiled and started eating. They sat in silence for some time before she spoke again, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Did Odin order my execution?"

"What in the nine realms would make you think that?" Loki laughed, leaning back in his seat and staring at her.

"Well, you are being eerily nice to me," she gestured to the fabricated surrounding, "And went out of your way to make a special evening for me. And you're asking me what foods I miss like I might never get a chance to eat them again. It's got me kind of nervous."

"No, Odin has not given that command."

"Then why are you being so fancy?"

"Because I feel like it?" He leaned forward and took her hand, "It is a continuation of my apology. For everything. Inadvertently trapping you in Asgard, allowing people to throw rotten fruit at you when Thor was gone, allowing the situation with Drin to develop as it did, letting Egil accost you the way he has been… all of it."

"Thanks," She slid her hand out from under his and he noticed that her ring was missing, "That's sweet of you."

"Might I ask _you_ a question?"

"Shoot."

"Where is your wedding band?" He quickly put his hands up peaceably, "I'm not mad, just curious."

"Oh right!" She wrung her hands, "I was going to tell you. Egil stole it last night! I tried to get it back-"

"He stole it?"

"Yeah. Put it in his pocket and wouldn't let me have it back!"

"That must have been why his nostalgia spell worked so well," Loki frowned, "I was wondering about that. The ring should have deflected it as I enchanted it to do."

"That makes sense," Maisy said excitedly, "Because I felt the ring through his pocket and that's when I stopped feeling like I missed him so much and stopped feeling okay with the situation. That and it kind reminded me that, you know, I'm married."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that it is still working at least," Loki tried not to dwell on her actions from the previous night, "I will get it back from him next time I see him."

"Thanks," she said and suddenly it felt very awkward between them so they continued to eat in silence. Loki was concocting ways to move the conversation along or make her feel more comfortable again. He hadn't missed how she pulled away from him, which meant she still wasn't comfortable around him, even after all of their time together. And he supposed he could understand that. It wasn't exactly like he was a cuddly, friendly, or even charming person. Anyone in their right mind would be afraid of him.

"You know," Maisy said, breaking the ice and shocking Loki out of his thoughts, "You and Thor are the only Asgardians who don't totally terrify me."

So much for that theory then.

"Oh? What of Sif and the Warriors Three?"

"They're great!" She nodded, "But I feel like if I ever ended up being a threat to Asgard they'd just as soon kill me while apologizing. Thor would find a way to work things out for everyone and you…"

"What? What do you think I'd do?"

"Well, you'd probably break about a thousand rules, nearly get us killed, and then sneak me away to safety," she laughed nervously, "I don't know."

"You're probably right," he smirked, "But I wonder, would you do the same for me?"

"Huh?" She paled.

"No, you are not the type to stir up trouble," he regarded her skeptically, "But you seem unreasonably willing to help everyone. You would probably try a diplomatic approach if I were in danger."

"I guess," she turned bright red and averted her eyes, "Yeah, probably."

There was another few minutes of silence.

"Maisy?"

"Mm?"

"You look lovely in that dress." It was amusing, he didn't think she could blush any deeper red, but she proved him wrong as the flush spread to her ears.

"Th-thanks."

The black dress was simple and plain in the front, but the fabric meant to cover her back was replaced by criss crossing straps. The skirt looked easy to move in, which wasn't surprising considering it was owned by Black Widow. Maisy, with her newly greened hair, looked a bit like some sort of enchantress in the garment.

Sensing the comment had made her uncomfortable, he decided to switch tactics.

"So, tell me about your plan for tomorrow. How will you defeat the others?"

She sat up immediately.

"So, Natasha and I were talking and we have a plan..."

They continued through the evening, chatting about her strategy for the next day and for the competitions to come. The wine started to take effect on them and they began joking around more. Loki had forgotten that Midgardians - especially ones as small as Maisy - got drunk rather easily. Especially on Asgardian alcohol. She'd only had half a glass through the conversation and it was easy to tell she should not have anymore.

"You know," She was beginning to slur her words, "You know what?"

"What?"

"I'm going to kick their butts tomorrow. Iss gonna be great."

"I'm sure you will."

"Hey!" She smiled and tapped her wrist, "Iss almost time for you to go!"

"Ah, you are right," he smirked a little and stood up, offering his hand to her, "And you should probably get to bed."

The illusion of the Rainbow Room cleared and Maisy took his hand.

"Yeah. Prolly," she stumbled a little and gazed at him when he caught her, "Thanks. And thanks you for the dinner."

"You are most welcome."

"G'night. Have fun!"

"Sleep well."

"I will," she laughed and lowered her voice to a whisper, "I think I'm just a teeny bit drunk."

"Good night, Maisy," he smiled, "I'm not sure when I will be back."

"Kay. Say hi to Thor for me!"

He chuckled and left her to get ready for bed. When he left the room he did not head in the direction of the library as he'd told Maisy he would. Instead, he shifted into a disguise and made for the servants' exit. He had some business to take care of in town and now that he had his magic back and he knew Maisy was safe he could get on with it. He hoped Idunn wouldn't mind such a late visit.

* * *

A few hours later Loki was irritable, uncomfortable, and exhausted, but he'd gotten what he'd needed. It only cost him a few secrets he'd never wanted to part with and a few promises, but he had it. And he hadn't been caught outside of the palace.

The guards barely noticed him as he tipped his hat to them and reentered the palace through the servants' door. It wasn't unusual for a worker to be coming in this late - or rather, this early. Keeping a palace full of royalty and nobles running took lots of people doing lots of jobs at odd hours. Plus, Loki had picked a time when he knew a few others would be coming in to switch places with the night shift.

When he was on the higher levels of the palace, a place were his own face wouldn't be cause for question or calling Odin, he dropped his disguise and trudged to his room. It really was annoying that he'd had to walk all the way to the edge of town to get what he needed, for now his feet hurt and the long hours of the day were settling in on him. He could not stop from yawning as he passed a maid in the hall.

"Excuse me," he said, nodding to the girl.

She bobbed a quick curtsy and Loki thought he saw her roll her eyes. She was probably used to seeing nobles out at this hour, partying and having a good time while she cleaned and worked away. And though he was irked by her disrespect, he didn't have the energy to say anything about it.

Finally, he made his way to his door and unlocked it. Stepping inside, he went over to one of his bookshelves. It still made him furious that Odin had taken all but three of his books away when his probation began. However, that was a problem for another day. Right now all he needed was to find the carving of a serpent. Then he pushed the eye of the creature in with his thumb and waited. A secret compartment popped out of the back of the built in bookcase. Just big enough to hide something precious. Like a stolen relic. Or an Infinity stone. Or an apple.

Securing the hiding spot once more Loki glanced at the mound of blankets on the floor and then collapsed into bed, shifting into his nightwear as he fell. He was asleep in a matter of minutes. Not noticing or remembering that he was not meant to be on the comfy mattress.

 **A note from the author: Thank you for reading and special thanks to ferbette, Eliza, and CheetahLover for the wonderful reviews! :)**


	54. Chapter 54

She woke up with a slight headache, but nothing near as bad as she was expecting. She'd had worse hangovers on much lighter alcohol. Maybe the Asgardians had developed drinks that didn't give hangovers. It didn't seem like a probable thing, but if anyone could do it, it was the Asgardians.

Her lack of headache was the first thing she noticed, but when she shifted, she noticed something else that was less peculiar and more alarming. There was a weight in the bed with her. Not only that, but there was breathing and when she shifted a little more a hand landed gently on her waist.

"What the…?" She tried to turn to see behind her, but the arm slithered around her middle and pulled her against the person behind her.

"Okay. Nope!" Maisy thrust her elbow backward into the other person's gut. It was a surprisingly toned gut. Her attack had the opposite of the desired effect, because even though the person seemed to jolt awake, their grip tightened.

"Who? What?" Loki's voice muttered by her ear, breath dancing over her skin.

"Loki?!" She struggled and elbowed some more, finally getting him to let her go, "What the hell?!"

"Maisy?" He asked groggily, blinking in confusion, "What are you doing in… damn."

"You, you!" Maisy quickly crawled away from him and jumped out of bed, feeling betrayed, "You!"

"Yes, me."

"How could you?!"

"Alright, Maisy," Loki got out of the bed too, putting his hands up peaceably, "Before you jump to some horrible conclusion-"

"You got me drunk! You told me I could have the bed and then you slid right in with me!"

"Some horrible conclusion such as that," Loki rolled his eyes and moved closer. Maisy took a huge step back, "This was all an accident. I am sorry."

"You, you are?" She narrowed her eyes at him, "How could it be an accident?"

"I forgot you'd be in the bed and I was tired. I wasn't thinking. "

"That sounds like an awfully convenient excuse," she crossed her arms and realized she was still in the black dress. Hopefully Romanoff wouldn't be too mad that she'd wrinkled it.

"It is. And I have no one to corroborate it. But I swear," he put his hand to his heart, "On my life, that I fell asleep without even realizing you were there. I did not lay a finger on you."

"Until this morning," Maisy grumbled, "When you seemed to think I was a teddy bear."

"Sorry about that," He lowered his gaze a bit and rubbed the back of his head, "I did not lay a _conscious_ finger on you."

"Thank you," she nodded, hair flopping in her face, "I'm sorry for freaking out - actually, you know what? I'm really not sorry. I think that was worthy of a good freak out. Jeesh!" She shuddered, "I'm going to go take a shower. Blergh."

"Blergh? Really?" He rolled his eyes, "I know it displeased you, but was it really that bad?"

"No comment," she grabbed her "battle gear" from the previous day and ducked into the bathroom.

If she was being honest, it had made her vastly uncomfortable, but if she'd been expecting it, then cuddling might not have been so bad. Maybe. Not that she'd ever admit that to anyone. She didn't even like admitting it to herself.

When she was done in the shower, Loki took his. And when he was done Maisy suggested they go eat breakfast with the Avengers.

"They invited us to join them. Apparently, Clint snuck into the kitchen and stole ingredients to make pancakes," Maisy laughed.

"Are you certain they invited _us_?"

"Well, they invited me," She shrugged, "But they won't mind."

"They will."

"It's fine," she grabbed her backpack, "Unless you have other plans for breakfast? Maybe with Tzefira?"

"Norns no! That woman couldn't tempt me to eat with her if she was offering to pay me with the crown of Asgard."

"Really? She's that bad?"

"Perhaps not _that_ bad, but I'd rather dine with the Avengers than her and that's saying something."

"Oh, before we go," Maisy turned and looked at him, "Can we be sure not to mention the whole…" she gestured to the bed, "I don't want them going all 'kill-mode'."

"Certainly."

"Like," Maisy tried to look commanding, "I'm serious. Even if we run into Egil - especially if we run into Egil - and you want to be like 'ooh, look at how much more she trusts me', don't do it. Promise."

"I would never!" He smirked, "It would be ungentlemanly of me to discuss who I share a bed with."

"Ugh!" She covered her face, "Just promise, okay?"

"I promise," he winked jauntily at her.

"No crossies?"

"What?"

"You aren't lying?"

"Why would I?"

"Because you winked! How am I supposed to take you seriously if you wink?"

"Why is this such a big deal?"

"Because if word gets out then it might get back to my dad and I really, really do not want to deal with that," she huffed in irritation and grabbed his arm, linking them, "Let's just go, okay?"

"I was not the one delaying us."

"Yeah, yeah."

 **A note from the author: OH MY NORNS! We've reached 101 reviews! That simply blows me away and I would like to give you all a virtual high five and heaps of gratitude! You are all lovely, lovely people for reviewing! To the people who reviewed the last chapter I give my usual shout out thanks. So thank you CheetahLover, ferbette, irisheyes85 (you were number 100 so you get an extra high five), and darkangelynn5!**

 **Also, thank you to the followers and favoriters!**

 **And thank you to everyone who is just reading along as well! :) Love you all!**


	55. Chapter 55

Breakfast with the Avengers was exactly as uncomfortable as Loki assumed it would be. They kept glaring at him and speaking subtle threats toward him. The only people at the table who didn't look like they wanted to leap over and attack him were Thor, Jane, and Maisy. And even Maisy was acting more coldly, though he supposed she had good reason.

It had truly been an accident and a blunder on his part, but he couldn't help feeling just a little smug about the whole ordeal. It had been pleasant to wake up with her warmth beside him and he wondered if he'd ever experience it again or if he'd ended all touching in their relationship forever by his one mistake. With how rigidly she was acting right now he wouldn't be surprised if she increased the platonicness of their marriage tenfold.

He put the thought out of his head and tried to focus on the conversations happening around him.

"Did you ever take any Judo?" Jane was asking Maisy, "I remember a few moves that might help you out if you want me to teach them to you before the big event today."

"That'd be awesome, Jane, thanks!" Maisy smiled and stuffed a huge bite of pancake in her mouth. Having some Midgardian food appeared to be improving her mood.

"If they beat you don't feel bad," Rogers commented, "This is just one of many events. We've got plenty of time."

"I even heard that Father is considering using one sport from each of the participants' homes as an event, to give everyone a bit of an advantage at something," Thor grinned, shoving about four whole pancakes into his spacious mouth.

"That's so cool! I wonder what sport he'll pick for Midgard. It would be nice if he chose archery, eh Hawkeye?" Maisy smiled and Barton beamed at her.

"Except for the fact that Tzefira has probably trained with a bow since she was able to lift one," Loki commented.

"I was just saying that it might be cool," Maisy said stiffly.

"Did you ever play any sports in school?" Natasha asked.

"Eighth grade through senior year I played soccer, I wasn't the best on the team," she shrugged, "It was fun though."

"Soccer? I shall suggest it to Father," Thor winked.

"I wonder what other competitions are in store," Stark was fidgeting with a piece of his armor, occasionally taking a sip of juice, "Will Odin ever let us know?"

"Doubtful," Loki said, "He prefers to keep people in the dark."

"Brother," Thor warned, "Don't turn the conversation sour."

"Just stating facts!" Loki chirped, sending a sly smile in Maisy's direction. She was blatantly ignoring him, chatting with Banner on her other side about the Hulk, probably unaware that it was a sore subject for the man.

Breakfast continued awkwardly until there were no more pancakes and it was nearly time for Maisy to be at the arena. She was already dressed in her battle garb from the previous day so they headed straight there. Loki and Thor were probably not supposed to travel with the Midgardian representatives since it showed favoritism, but they didn't particularly care at the moment. Thor was engaged in conversation with Jane and Loki didn't feel like leaving Maisy's side. He suspected Egil meant to try something to get her attention and it would not be wise to leave her alone. Even if the Avengers had her back.

When they got to the arena guards quickly approached Maisy. She smiled politely at them at first, but they quickly clapped their hands on her upper arms and started dragging her away. She yelped and reached out for her entourage, succeeding in grabbing Loki's hand and shocking him a bit.

"What is the meaning of this?!" He demanded, but the guards merely pulled harder and Maisy soon vanished with them. The Avengers went to race after her and Loki was already following, but more guards got between them and told them what was going on.

"No contestants are allowed to speak with their entourages from this point forward in today's event," the guard said, "Please go to your seats."

"I am not part of her entourage," Loki said, trying to look over the man's shoulder and locate Maisy.

"Well, the Allfather said you especially weren't allowed to talk to the contestants, so I'm going to have to ask you to go to your seat as well, Your Highness."

"What about me?" Thor asked, giving a winning smile.

"No."

All of the Avengers and Loki muttered grouchily but did as they were asked and went to find their seats. Loki was made even more irritable when he found that he was to be seated with all of the proud parents of the contestants. Aoiba's mother and father were smiling happily, Tzefira's mother nodded kindly at him, Die-An's mother acknowledged him amiably, but Mr. Sichore was openly displaying his anger. Obviously Melantha's family was dead and Blaze didn't seem to have any present either. But it was still far too many chatting parents for the trickster to deal with. And they all wanted to know what he thought of their daughters. It was a good thing he was the god of lies or he might have started a few wars.

"Yes, Tzefira truly _is_ a delicate and lovely girl!"

"Aoiba is such an interesting conversationalist, I agree."

"How could I _not_ notice Die-An's caring nature?"

On and on the lies went until the event finally started and he was finally allowed to be quiet and the parents were forced to shut up about how wonderful their daughters were and what good wives they'd make.

"First fight!" The herald announced, "Die-An of the Kree versus Aoiba of the Krylorians!"

The women stepped out into the center of the arena, both dressed in battle garb. Aoiba looked distinctly nervous when faced with a snarling Kree warrior. They shook hands and the herald read the rules, stating that they could not kill each other or give permanent injuries or scars. Die-An looked slightly disappointed at this and Aoiba looked relieved.

Then a trumpet blared and both women launched themselves at each other. Loki couldn't help wincing when Die-An's fist pummeled Aoiba into the ground and knocked her out in one punch. The Krylorian princess was down so fast that it took a moment for the herald to blow another trumpet blast to declare the end of the match.

"Oh, is it over?" Die-An sounded disappointed and the Asgardian audience laughed and cheered for her. With her impressive battle skills, she was winning over the battle loving realm. Even Loki was amused by her. The only ones not smiling were the Krylorians and the king and queen appeared to be peeved that Loki was smirking.

"Hand to hand is not her strong suit," the Krylorian king snapped, "And she stayed up later than she should have, so she really wasn't in her best shape today."

"I'm sure," Loki responded as medics carried the girl off to be tended to and Die-An was led to a victor's seat. He was anxious to see who was up next. He'd been hoping that Maisy would be paired with Aoiba since they seemed somewhat evenly matched in the area of hand to hand combat. Now he could only hope she was paired with Melantha. While he loathed the Dark Elf queen, he also knew she was a woman of honor. She would stop the attack when she'd won and not keep going until Maisy was passed out in the dirt.

He huffed and rested his chin on his palm when he realized at this point he was rooting for the girl that's greatest victory would be surviving a sparring match. Not that he didn't want her to win, but he couldn't help wishing he'd been stuck with someone a bit more capable.

When the next contestants came onto the floor he wanted to groan. Melantha and Tzefira were facing off, which meant Maisy would be left with Blaze. He just hoped that Egil had instructed his sister in arms to go easy on the Midgardian. Of course, there might not be an arena left to battle in by the end of the current match, as the Light and Dark Elves would probably go all out in trying to destroy one another.

The herald blew his horn and the crowd went absolutely bonkers. Most of the people were cheering for Tzefira, considering the majority of the audience was made up of Asgardians. Perhaps they weren't cheering so much for the Light Elf as they were cheering against Melantha. It really was a wonder that the Dark Elves thought it would be a good idea to come to the place where they'd caused so much grief. Frigga had been beloved by all and the wound was still fresh.

Tzefira seemed to get charged up on the applause and she grinned as she and Melantha wrestled around the arena, kicks and punches being thrown with loud grunts and howls. Melantha remained composed as she blocked the other woman's hits and when Tzefira started to wear down she struck, leaping at her middle and knocking her to the ground. She looked ready to deliver a blow to Tzefira's face, which would effectively end the match, when Tzefira rolled. Melantha was suddenly underneath and Tzefira did not hold back. There were several hits before the Svartalfheim representatives began shouting for the herald to step in. The herald hesitated, probably glad to see Melantha taking a beating, before he finally blew the trumpet.

Tzefira didn't stop though and eventually Odin ordered two guards to go forth and pull the women apart. Before the guards could do anything Tzefira grinned maniacally and looked as if she was going to try and kill Melantha with her bare hands.

"For Queen Frigga!" Tzefira shouted, going in for the neck. The guards paused at this and no one else made a move until Melantha screamed and fired off red lightning. Tzefira was flung backwards, smoking slightly. The Dark Elf queen spat black blood from her mouth and slowly rose to her feet. Even though she'd lost the match she still held herself with great dignity. Sending a glare in Odin's direction, she slowly made her way to her seat. A medic should have offered to take care of her wounds, but none stepped forward and Loki got the impression that she wouldn't have accepted their help anyway.

Her advisors began muttering to her immediately, but she silenced them all by lifting her hand. They probably wanted her to declare war on the Light Elves, but she simply stayed quiet and stared ahead. Even though he almost wished that Tzefira had finished her off, he couldn't help but admire her stoic expression. An expression decorated by cuts, bruises, and blood.

After a few moments of shocked silence, Tzefira picked herself up from the ground with a cough. She dusted herself off and went to sit next to Die-An in a victor's seat. That seemed to shake everyone again and the herald remembered to announce Blaze and Maisy.

Blaze, ever the entertainer, cheered with the audience as she took her place in the middle of the arena. She was wearing black warpaint in streaks across her face and her eyes seemed to glow heinously as they found their way to Loki. He frowned at her and she had the nerve to blow him a kiss. This seemed to remind everyone of what she'd done the previous day and the audience chuckled.

Maisy walked, shoulders back and chin up, to the middle and offered her hand to Blaze. The girl from Muspelheim raised a brow, but shook the Midgardian's hand. They both took a step back and squared up to fight. Maisy's stance was so painfully amateurish that he could scarcely stand to watch. When the horn blew Blaze leapt at Maisy, but Maisy ducked and rolled away. She rose to her feet, fists up, and scowled determinedly at her opponent. Blaze laughed and made to attack again, but Maisy sidestepped her and threw a punch of her own. It was a good one and landed right in Blaze's gut.

"Ha, that tickles," Blaze gasped, clearly winded. She took the moment of Maisy's success and turned it on her by sweeping her leg and knocking the other woman to the ground. She made to jump on her, but Maisy rolled away and attempted to get back onto her feet. Blaze saw it coming and grabbed Maisy's green hair and yanked her onto her back.

With a pained yelp, Maisy reached for her scalp, forgetting to to defend herself. Blaze was quick to kick Maisy in the stomach and when the Midgardian couldn't move except to clutch herself in pain, Blaze laughed triumphantly and socked her opponent in the eye. She looked like she wouldn't have minded bashing Maisy's skull in, but there was a sharp whistle from Muspelheim's box and, like a well trained but defiant dog, Blaze settled for one more kick. She looked to the herald, he blew the horn, and Blaze skipped over to her victor's chair, baring her teeth at the other girls.

Maisy looked as if she was about to start crying from pain and Loki wanted nothing more than to scoop her up and carry her to safety, but the medics beat him to it. They gently helped her to her feet and walked her away. Loki sighed with relief, which surprised him because he hadn't thought he would ever get so worked up over a simple Midgardian's safety. Yet here he was, wanting to leave the arena to go check on her.

He couldn't, obviously, or else Odin would throw a fit and lecture him about not showing favoritism. So he sat and listened to the parents babble some more before the final fight began. All three women who'd won would be facing each other and whoever won would be awarded a huge number of points. Loki barely paid attention to the fighting. He clapped when Tzefira won - she'd done so by knocking out Die-An and then swinging the Kree girl around and releasing her into Blaze's face - and when Odin finally declared an end to the day's activities, he made a quick get away by leaving an illusion to chat with parents.

He found his way to the arena infirmary and saw that the Avengers were already checking up on Maisy. He was about to enter the room and see for himself what damage had been done, but a hand squeezed his shoulder and he turned around to find a battered Aoiba. She grinned flirtatiously at him and started a conversation. He had no choice but to talk with her for a bit and tell her she did quite well for not being in her best form. She hooked her arm with his and led him back to the palace, much to his annoyance. They ended up in a little garden and she blabbered at him for near on an hour.

When she was finally done, saying she really ought to get ready for dinner, he smiled politely and when she was gone he leapt up to go find Maisy. However, a guard grabbed his arm.

"What?!" He snapped.

"The Allfather says you and Tzefira are to spend the rest of the day together."

"Why in the nine realms would I do that?" Loki sneered.

"Well," the guard grinned a little, "She did win the competition today. Didn't your father tell you that you were her prize?"

"I can't spend the day with her-"

"You can, or else I've got orders to get the rest of my boys and we'll drag your ass down to the dungeon. Your choice, traitor."

Loki grumbled and followed the guard to go meet Tzefira. He was nearly sick at the thought of spending the day with her, but he'd do nearly anything to keep out of the dungeon. And perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.

 **A note from the author: a thousand apologies for the lull in my updates, friends! I have been busy and now a tad ill and then my computer decided it wasn't fond of my and I had to coax it into working long enough for me to post this. I hope I didn't keep you in too much suspense. ;) Thank you for your patience!**

 **As always, I want to take a moment to thank the lovely reviewers. So thank you very, very much to Eliza, ferbette, Lwolf, and the guest reviewer! Your reviews all made me smile!**

 **And something I'd like to start doing is just giving a brief thank you to everyone who has favorited or followed or both! I can't believe how many of you there are! :)**

 **Until next time!**


	56. Chapter 56

A few of her ribs had been cracked from one of Blaze's kicks and she'd been in a lot of pain ever since getting beaten within an inch of her life. Or that's what it felt like anyway. A healer had given her a potion and told her that her bones should be mended by morning and of course this made Doctors Foster and Banner incredibly interested. Tony simply raised a brow at the potion and secretly snatched the near empty container from the trash for his friends to analyse later. Maisy chuckled at the smart people and their antics, but it hurt her ribs to do so.

"Careful there," Captain Rogers said, seeing her wince, "How you feeling?"

"Um," Maisy blinked. Suddenly her vision went blurry and she felt incredibly sleepy, "I think I need a nap…"

"Of course, you're probably tired," the good captain motioned for the others to follow him out of the infirmary.

"Wait," she mumbled, "Can someone take me to my room? Please."

"Are you sure? The medics here don't really want you to go," Natasha said upon getting the stink eye from one of the healers.

"Yeah," Maisy couldn't help but yawn, "I should get back to the palace. He's prolly wondering - _yawn-_ about me."

"Who, Loki?" Tony commented, "I doubt he cares about anyone but himself."

"Linn's prolly worried," Maisy couldn't keep her eyes open much longer, but she didn't want to be left in the arena infirmary.

"Hey! Avenging nitwits!" A familiar voice yelled from outside the room, "Let me in there!"

"Who is that?" Natasha asked.

"Let me check," Barton opened the door a crack, got yelled at some more, and closed the door, "Any one know who the angry hillbilly is?"

"Dad?" Maisy yawned.

"That's your dad?"

"Mmm hmm."

"Okay," Barton reluctantly went for the door again, "You sure you want him in here?"

"Can someone just take me back to my room, please?"

" _Let me in there you stupid super wannabes!"_

Barton opened the door and Mr. Sichore burst into the room and went straight for his daughter. He cradled her head gently and she finally let her hers droop closed.

"What happened?!" He yelped, "Is she dying?"

"No, she's just sleeping. One of the medics must have given her something or maybe there was something in that potion-"

"Potion?! What the hell kind of alien drugs did they put in her?!"

"Dad…" Maisy's eyes half opened again.

"Oh baby girl, you're going to be alright. If we get you to throw it up it might not be too late!"

"Midgardian!" A healer came over, "We have given her a simple bone healing draught that was laced with sedatives. She is completely fine! We even accounted for her earthen frame and physiology. We know what we are doing!"

"Get back you alien lady!" Mr. Sichore snapped.

"Sir," Steve said, "They don't want to hurt Maisy."

"Humph!" But somehow the man couldn't argue with the legendary Captain America so he dropped the issue, choosing instead to stroke Maisy's hair like he did when she was a little girl. "You okay, sweetie?"

"I want to sleep in my room, not here," she muttered, getting closer and closer to sleep.

"Will moving her cause any problems?" Dr. Banner asked.

"It should not," the healer admitted, "But if we keep her here we can observe her more easily should anything go wrong."

"There's healers in the palace aren't there?" Maisy asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Alright! Fine! Take the little Midgardian wherever you like!" The healer threw her hands in the air and walked away.

So, Steve scooped up Maisy and they began the walk back to the palace. Maisy was asleep by the time they got there. Mr. Sichore had to be ditched at his inn because they were all sure that Maisy wouldn't want him knowing where she was staying.

Jane had to help them find the way to Loki's chambers. When they got there they debated about whether or not they should leave Maisy there alone or if someone should stand guard. Or if they should just take her to a different room entirely.

"He won't hurt her," Jane said confidently, "He's had plenty of opportunity to do so."

"I don't trust him. He's up to something," Tony said, "A guy like him-"

"Has taken excellent care of her so far," Jane crossed her arms, "Thor trusts him and I trust Thor."

"I guess she can stay here," Tony allowed, "But Cap, you cool with standing guard?"

"Of course."

"If Reindeer Games shows up tell him to go somewhere else until Maisy is done healing," the billionaire tucked the blankets around Maisy a little bit.

The Avengers left Captain America standing guard outside and then they made their way back to their own rooms. Steve sat on the sofa in the room and began flipping through one of the books from the shelf. He couldn't help wondering where Loki had gone to, since he hadn't been seen since the tournament. Steve had actually believed that Loki was starting to care about Maisy, but evidently not if he didn't care that the girl had been wounded in her fight. Even if the guy didn't actually love his wife, he seemed like he would at least want to know what happened to her. But maybe not.

As Steve sat with Maisy for a few hours he heard her turn over and mutter in her sleep quite a bit. Something about wanting someone to leave her alone and a few requests for help. The super soldier didn't really know how to help her so he just let her keep sleeping. A lot of bad things had happened to her in a short amount of time and he didn't blame her for having nightmares. She probably would prefer to be woken up, but the healers had said she needed sleep.

So she slept for several hours until she finally sat bolt upright gasping and clutching her middle. She looked around frantically, spotted Steve on the couch and smiled sheepishly.

"Hey."

"You alright?"

"Uh, yeah, fine. Just bad dreams," she rubbed her sides, "My ribs feel much better, which is nice."

"I'm sure," Steve smiled and got up, offering her a glass of water, "You need to talk about the dreams or anything?"

"Nah," she waved him off, "It's always about the lindworm anyway. I'm fine."

"Okay."

"You can go if you want. I'm not going to die spontaneously - well, unless Odin is pissed for some reason or another."

"I probably shouldn't leave you alone…"

"Loki will probably be here soon anyway," she shrugged, "Was he worried when you guys told him what had happened to me?"

"Well-"

"Where is he anyway? I thought for sure he'd be the one creepily watching me while I was sleeping. Is he in the bathroom or something? You guys taking shifts?"

"He hasn't shown up since this morning."

"Really?"

"He didn't even check on you in the infirmary," Steve answered, "None of us have heard from him."

"Oh," she hated how disappointed her voice sounded so she tried to smile, "I bet Odin wanted to talk to him or something. He's probably busy with… stuff."

"Yeah," it was a pity-yeah, "I'm sure he has a great excuse."

"And it's not like I died or anything!" She laughed half heartedly, "There really wasn't any need for anyone to get worked up."

Still, she was kind of sad that he hadn't shown any concern for her. Maybe he was disappointed that she hadn't done very well in the competition. Then again, he couldn't have been expecting her to have done well anyway. He probably just didn't care. Maisy had to remind herself that even though he'd been super nice to her the night before he probably didn't actually care that much about what happened to her.

She looked at the blue roses on the table across the room and frowned.

"Are you sure you don't need any more sleep?"

"I'm good," she said, "You can leave. I'm sure he'll be along shortly."

Steve was about to make a remark when the door opened and Loki stepped in, head hanging low. He kicked off his boots without looking up and his clothes shifted into more pajama like attire. It looked as if he was just going to collapse onto the bed, but Captain Rogers cleared his throat.

"Norns, what do you want?" Loki sneered, looking directly at the captain. Steve gestured subtly to Maisy and Loki turned to look at her.

"Hey," she waved a little, "You look tired."

Loki gaped at her a moment.

"You look terrible!"

"Rude," she smirked and then started to get out of the bed. Both Steve and Loki moved toward her at the same time and Loki ended up glaring at the captain.

"What? I know you guys have beef, but," Maisy stood up, "Surely you can act somewhat civilized, eh?"

"Maisy," Steve said, "Get back in bed. You need rest."

"It's fine," she rolled her eyes, "I just napped for forever. I'm hungry."

"Then we'll bring you something to eat. You don't need to get up."

"Yeah, but Loki looks like he's about to keel over," she pointed out, "And I'm not sharing, so he can have it."

"Do not get up on my account!" Loki said, "I agree with the captain! You need rest."

"I'm… whoop!" She fell over and into Steve's arms, "Fine."

"Clearly not," Loki scoffed, "What happened?"

"Did you just close your eyes the whole time Blaze was beating me up or…?"

"I know what happened," he snapped, taking her arm gently and pulling her away from Steve, "Are you alright? Did you break something?"

"She cracked a few ribs. Apart from that it's just bruising," Steve stepped back and crossed his arms.

"Norns!" Loki helped her sit down again and sat next to her, "You Midgardians are so incredibly fragile. You'll be sleeping until the next event. That's final."

"No, I'm fine!"

"You aren't!" Loki insisted, raising his voice.

"Hey, don't yell at her!"

"Steve, could you please go? You're making this awkward," Maisy muttered rubbing her sides to feel her healing ribs, "But thanks for keeping an eye on me."

"Alright, but if you need anything you know where to find me," Steve glared at Loki, "Or just start screaming and someone will hear you."

"What in the nine realms do you think is going to happen to her?" Loki laughed, "Get out before I lose my patience with you."

Steve left reluctantly and Loki immediately turned to Maisy. She wasn't paying much attention to him though, looking down at her hands instead.

"So where have you been all day?" She asked quietly.

"I wanted to check on you," he said quickly, "But Odin told Tzefira that I'd be spending the day with her and I couldn't get away."

"Oh," Maisy started to stand up, "Well, I should probably be resting so I'm going to bed."

"And to do that you should probably stay in the _bed_ ," Loki pulled her back down and she glowered at him.

"No, that's okay. I'll just use my little corner."

"On the floor? With broken ribs?"

"Yeah-"

"No. Absolutely not."

"Why do you care?" She tried to get up again but Loki was having none of it. He got up as well and scooped her into his arms. "Hey! No! Put me down! What the heck, man?!"

"Why do I care? I want you to win the competition and that is impossible if you do not heal properly," he placed her on the bed and pulled the sheets up over her as she struggled, "You'll sleep in the bed."

"After last night?" She snapped, "No thank you!"

"It was an accident! How many times must I tell you?"

"How do I know there won't be another 'accident'? Huh?" She wiggled, but was tightly held down by the sheet, "Good grief, how did you get this tucked in so tightly?"

"Magic, obviously," he smirked, "And you can be sure I will leave you in peace because I will sleep in another room entirely. The library, perhaps."

"Ugh, you're impossible!" Maisy finally calmed and lay back on the pillow.

"You'll thank me when you've healed," he smirked, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she grumbled and was quickly overtaken by sleep, perhaps partly aided by a well meaning spell.

 **A note from the author: I have great news! I finally finished writing this story! Currently the completed fic sits at about 189,000 words. That's only a thousand six hundred and thirty-seven less than** ** _Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire_** **. I do believe this is the longest thing I've ever written in my life. And now I just have to edit a few things and post all of the chapters.**

 **I hope you are enjoying it so far and that you will until the last word! :) I myself have probably never had more fun writing something. I can't wait to share it all with you!**

 **Special thanks to CheetahLover (I had a lot of fun writing the fight scenes so I'm glad you liked them) and ferbette (brilliant plan, pity that Thor is such a goody two shoes and would probably rat us out for our coup) for reviewing!**

 **And thank you also to everyone who followed and favorited and read!**


	57. Chapter 57

As promised, Loki went to the library to sleep. He did so grudgingly, given it was _his_ room that he was giving up, but he supposed it was worth it. After all, if Maisy didn't heal properly then she couldn't do well in Taka af Brúðr and if she didn't do well then she'd be stolen off to Muspelheim. Not to mention Egil would win, which was unacceptable.

So Loki hid in the library. When he got there he went straight to the dusty section of Nidavellirian literature. Dwarfs could make breath taking (quite literally) weapons, but their sonnets were not highly sought after reading material. This meant this particular section of the library rarely had visitors and was the perfect place to have built a fake shelf with fake books. Behind these books were all the necessities of sleeping in the library.

Blanket.

Glowing orb night light thing that Frigga had crafted when Loki was little.

Skins filled with water and other, more exciting, beverages.

A few dried snacks (Frigga would have been horrified).

And, stuffed deep in the corner and long forgotten, a plush horse.

Loki took the blanket and the night light, leaving the other objects behind. He took a step away, thought again, and grabbed a handful of snacks. He took another step, paused, and nearly grabbed the plush as well, but shook his head and put the fake books back up. Then he made his way to the most hidden of the sofas in the library. Setting up camp for the night, he glamoured himself to look like a librarian until the guard passed through.

"You gonna be here long?" The guard asked gruffly.

"N-no!" Loki pushed his illusion of glasses up his nose, "And I have a means of light, so please feel free to extinguish the others!"

"Right. Well, don't be in here long. Odin says to be on the lookout for the Midgardian girl sleeping in here. He thinks she's been spending the night here," the guard peered skeptically at Loki, "You seen anything out of the ordinary?"

"I did see, I think, Lady Sif sleeping on the couch the other night, but n-no M-Midgardians, sir!"

"Hmm. Well, if you see something say something, yeah?"

"Of, of c-course!"

"A pleasant night to you, book keeper."

"And to you, sir!"

The guard left and soon the library lights went low. Loki smirked, dropped his disguise, and shook the orb until it started glowing. He set it down on the arm rest of the sofa and grabbed a nearby book to read for a bit. It turned out to be a rather good time, snacking and reading in the soft light of his mother's old magic. At least, it was nice until he heard a stack of books being knocked over and some soft cursing.

Quickly putting out his light and shifting back into the guise of the librarian, Loki hid behind a bookcase and peered around the library. Allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness, he eventually spotted a shadow over by a window. It was hulking shadow that could only belong to one resident of the palace.

"Loki?" The shadow called, "Loki are you in here?"

"Thor? What the hell are you doing in the library?"

"Brother, where are you?"

There was something slightly off about Thor's voice that made Loki suddenly suspicious. He switched positions, going over to another shelf to view his brother from a different angle. From what he could tell it was plainly Thor. Nothing looked odd.

"Brother, are you still there?"

"Thor, if you are yourself then prove it."

Thor laughed loudly and looked around the library as if trying to pinpoint where Loki's voice was coming from. Because of this Loki was quick to switch positions once more.

"Prove myself to you? Do you doubt I am who I am?" Thor chuckled, "You are the one with tricks, brother, not I."

"Ten seconds to prove yourself. Tell me what Mother's favorite color was."

"Brother, this is stupid. Show yourself. I have much to discuss with you."

"Five seconds."

"The color of Father's eyes!" Thor declared, "She told me so herself, regardless of what she told you."

"Wrong, it was always yellow and she told us both on multiple occasions," Loki snapped, "But I'll give you one more chance since you were never very observant. What's my middle name?"

Thor swore and put his hands up. His large frame faded into Egil Belison's smaller one. The man of Muspelheim was grinning slyly and his eyes glowed red in the dark.

"Well played, Laufeyson," he chuckled, "For the record, what is your middle name?"

"Bartholomew," Loki rolled his eyes and stepped out of the shadow, green magic pulsing in both fists, "But, _for the record_ , Thor doesn't know that. And he never will."

"I'd keep that name a secret too if I was you," Egil laughed, "What are you doing in the library?"

"Research." No need to mention that Maisy was recuperating and vulnerable all alone.

"On?"

"Taka af Brúðr, what else?"

"Looking for loopholes to escape your fate?"

"Perhaps."

"I've already looked into them all," Egil's hands lit up with his own magic and he winked, "Unless my Maisy pulls off a miracle you'll be marrying Blaze, trickster."

"Blaze could lose," Loki pointed out.

"She won't," Egil said, "She's too determined. Tzefira won because Blaze let her today."

"What are you here for?" Loki asked, "Looking for me?"

"Yes, actually," Egil's orange magic ran up his arm, much like pushing up a sleeve, and revealed his hand, holding something, "To give you this back."

His fist unclenched and revealed Maisy's wedding ring. Loki raised a brow and gave Egil a disbelieving look.

"What did you do to it?"

"Nothing. Though I am quite impressed with your protection spells on it. If Maisy had been wearing it today she probably wouldn't be in so much pain right now."

"How do you know that she is pain?" Loki asked suspiciously. He knew Captain Rogers would not have let Egil anywhere near Maisy, but it was possible that Egil had infiltrated the Avengers in a manner similar to what he'd done to Linn.

"Even if Blaze was going easy, that looked like it hurt," Egil scowled, "How is she?"

"Cracked ribs," Loki tucked the ring in his pocket, "Just another injury you've caused her. Honestly, you are trying to convince her you love her but you keep giving her serious injuries. Is that how they teach you to win a woman on Muspelheim?"

"Cracked ribs?" Egil winced, "A price of the game, I suppose. She's been given healing potions?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"If returning the ring is all you wanted to do then please leave. I've much research to do still," Loki gestured toward the exit.

"That's not the only reason I'm here, trickster," Egil's thoughtful expression turned into a sinister grin, "I was seeking you out to make sure you would not cheat tomorrow."

"Cheat at what?" Loki crossed his arms, putting out the green tendrils of power, " You must forgive me for not paying attention to what the task tomorrow is - I was rather busy worrying over my _wife_."

"Stop calling her that," Egil snapped and Loki smiled, "It is a title and nothing more. She has already assured me this is the case, regardless of what you imply."

"A mere title, but a truthful one," Loki taunted.

"Shut up," Egil snarled and his magic flared. It calmed when he saw he wasn't intimidating his rival in the least, "The task for tomorrow is potion making."

"Oh?" Loki inwardly winced. All of this time he could have been using to teach Maisy about some simple, yet impressive potion and he'd been having her focus on combat.

"And I won't have you throwing illusions to make whatever she creates look better than it actually is," Egil held out his hand, "Or else I'll do the same for Blaze."

"Odin would know if I tampered," Loki shook the hand, "And he'd know if you did. I'm not an idiot. Maisy doesn't need my help anyway. She's prepared."

"Oh really?" Egil laughed, "Because on Midgard the most impressive thing she could brew is a pot of coffee. She's a nightmare in the kitchen and I'll be surprised if she doesn't blow all of Asgard apart when given magical ingredients."

"She's been practicing."

"If you say so," Egil shrugged and turned to go, slipping back into his disguise of Thor, "Until tomorrow, trickster."

Loki waited until the other man was out of the library and then he rushed back to his blanket and quickly folded it up. He sprinted to stuff it and the nightlight back in their nook and then changed into a disguise. He thought of going as a guard, but when guards ran people thought something was amiss. However, when Linn ran no one batted an eye. So he took on her form and sprinted from the library to his chambers.

Flinging the door open with more force than he probably should have and dropping his disguise, he woke Maisy up. She yelped and looked as if she was trying to sit up, but she was held down by the sheets still. Loki cursed when he realized he'd left that particular charm in place. Had someone tried to attack Maisy in his absence she wouldn't have been able to fight back.

"Loki? What are you doing?" She snapped as he undid the charm on the sheets. She sat up and got out of bed, watching him apprehensively.

"Get dressed, we've much to do," he went to a cabinet on the far side of the room and cast the spell needed to open it. He hadn't used it's contents for some time and he hoped all of his ingredients still worked properly.

"What's going on?" Maisy looked out the window, "It's not even dawn!"

"I've just learned what the test for tomorrow is," Loki pulled out what he needed and shut the cabinet again, "I only have a few hours to teach you as much about potion making as I can."

"Potion making? Like Snape and Hogwarts and stuff?"

"What?"

"Nevermind," Maisy grabbed her curtain dress and went to the bathroom to get changed. When she came back out she saw him struggling to carry everything and she reached out to help. He jerked away from her quickly. "What?"

"Don't touch these, you could poison yourself and that is the last thing we need."

"Am I going to be making poison?"

"No, but some of the ingredients for what you will be making are deadly," Loki snapped his fingers and Maisy found herself wearing thick leather gloves, "Let's go to my mother's personal laboratory. It will be the perfect place to work."

They made their way to a room that reminded Maisy much of a greenhouse, as the ceiling and outward walls were made of glass. This allowed for the gorgeous starry night to be seen along with the shimmering skyline of Asgard. Maisy went straight to the window and gaped at the night time beauty.

Behind her she heard Loki dump all of his ingredients on a work table. He snapped his fingers and lamps around the room lit up. There were more bizarre looking ingredients lying around the room. It looked like a non-dungeony version of Snape's classroom from _Harry Potter_ and there was even a large book of recipes. Probably minus the Half Blood Prince's notes.

"Stop gawking," Loki snapped, "We've much to do and little time to do it in."

"Right, of course!" Maisy almost skipped up to the table with a large grin in place. Apart from being exhausted, she was incredibly excited, "What are you going to teach me to make?"

"Do you have a means to take notes?" Loki asked, frantically arrangement the items he'd brought with him.

"Uh, no. Sorry, I didn't think to bring a notebook."

"I doubt they'd let you take notes with you into the competition in any case," Loki sighed and stopped moving for a moment to look at her. He paused when he saw her excited smile, "What?"

"What?"

"Why are you smiling?"

"Because this is gonna be so cool!"

"This is going to be a night full of hard work and study."

"But I'm going to be learning how to make magic potions and stuff!"

"Potions are rarely magical. Potions are the science of how magically imbued and non-magically imbued items react together."

"Oh crap, that sounds a lot like chemistry."

"It _is_ chemistry."

"Would this be a bad time to tell you that the only reason I passed high school chem is because I cheated off of my friend's homework?"

"You failed acting and you should have failed chemistry, is there any subject in school that you actually did well in?" He sneered, a bit more harshly than he meant to.

"You are looking at the best art student ever to grace the halls of Lakeside High," she pointed at herself with her thumb, "And I got all A's in history."

"Regardless, I doubt history or art will much help when the judges command you to impress them with your potion making capabilities."

"Probably not, so we better get moving."

Dragging a stool over to the high table, she sat down and watched as Loki tried to explain basic ingredients to her. They went on for quite a while like this.

"...and that is why you never mix active stardust with the tears of a troll."

"Sheesh, yeah I guess not," Maisy winced, "Any other dangerous combos I should know about?"

"Thor and shawarma," Loki wrinkled his nose, "Longest inter-realm trip of my life. Smelliest too."

"Oh my gosh!" Maisy burst out laughing, "I did _not_ need to know that!"

"Also, you'd do well to stay away from nightshade, hemlock, and wolf's bane. And, obviously dragon blood, but everyone knows that."

"Dragon's blood?!" Maisy sat up straighter, "That's so freaking metal."

"You didn't know that dragons have poisonous blood? I am continuously astounded by how little Midgardians know. You never heard the cautionary rhyme?"

"You have a rhyme about dragon blood?"

" _Only a fool or a ghoul could take a whiff of dragon blood or on the floor his corpse does thud_ ," Loki recited and then looked at her inquiringly, "You've never heard that?"

"No, but we have nursery rhymes about the plague. _Ring around the rosie, pocket full of posie, ashes ashes, we all fall down_."

"Catchy."

"So I'm keeping away from dragon blood, noted," Maisy pointed to the ingredients set up before her, "What are those and what do they do?

Loki took her through each of the items he'd brought with him and then made Maisy say them back to him. He then proceeded to tell her what each did and showed her what a few combinations would do. She was thoroughly impressed. When it came time for her to start mixing them herself she felt less like Hermione and more like Neville. When the ingredients were in her hands it seemed that their properties and general uses changed. Even Loki was baffled by how badly she could mess up the simplest of potions.

"Norns, why is it fizzing like that?" He peered at a mixture, "I have never seen bilgesnipe fur mixed with griffin egg yolk and water fizz like-"

The small cauldron they were using emitted a black cloud of smoke that enveloped his too-near face. He pulled back sputtering and Maisy gasped, hand flying to her face to protect herself from breathing in the foul smell. Loki glared at her and she shook her head.

"I did exactly what you said!"

"I know," he panted, "I was watching you closely. You did nothing wrong and yet…"

"It blew up!"

"Precisely."

The stared at each other for a moment and then at the cauldron. The smoke faded and revealed a pile of ashes.

"That should not even be a remotely probable result," Loki went to touch the grey powder, but Maisy's hand shot out and stopped him, "What?"

"Don't touch it! It could be poisonous!"

"We didn't put anything poisonous in it!"

"Yeah, but you just said it isn't doing what it's supposed to!"

"It's fine. I'm sure nothing will happen."

"Loki, don't you dare touch whatever the heck I just made," Maisy was watching the ashes apprehensively, as if they might get up and starting doing something evil.

"Concerned for my well being, are you?" Loki laughed, reaching out again. Maisy slapped his hand and he sent her an annoyed look.

"Yes, I am concerned! If it kills you or does something awful to you I'll never forgive myself! And Odin would probably kill me!"

"Don't worry, Maisy," Loki gave her a somewhat comforting look, "I'm more durable than I look. And if something truly dreadful happens we aren't far from the wing of the palace where the healers live. If you run screaming down the halls I'm sure someone will come to your aid… before it's too late."

"Don't joke like that. You shouldn't touch it!"

"I want to know what it does and the best way to find out is to touch it," before she could stop him, he was scooping up the ash, "It's oddly cold. And I can feel it buzzing with some sort of energy. This is truly peculiar."

"Put it down, you don't need to keep touching it."

"I wonder what it tastes like…"

"Loki!"

"I was kidding," he smirked and Maisy swatted his arm.

"Just put it down!"

"When I'm finished with it I assure you I will comply readily."

"When are you going to be finished?"

"Soon enough. Be patient," he chuckled, holding it to his nose.

"Don't freaking sniff it! You'll breathe it in!"

"Smells like bilgesnipe hair."

"Great, now put it down."

"Not yet…"

All of a sudden lightning cracked outside in an otherwise peaceful sky. Maisy yelped, but Loki didn't even flinch. He continued to examine the powder, hoping the reason it had come out the way it did was simply because the ingredients were old.

"What was that?!"

"Honestly, you are living in the same building as the god of thunder and lightning. What do you think it was?"

"What's he doing?"

"Showing off to Jane," he finally poured the powder back into the cauldron and dusted off his hands. When he looked up and saw that Maisy was no longer paying attention to the potion making and was watching the lighting crackle through the sky instead he rolled his eyes. Snatching her chin, he turned her face back to him, "Now if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to get back to our lessons."

To his displeasure, she hastily pulled away from him, nearly falling off her seat as she did so. She wobbled for a second before finding her balance. He smirked at her.

"Don't do that," she said it so seriously that Loki almost felt bad for startling her.

"Let us get back to learning the basics, hmm?" He ignored her irritated expression and picked up the container with bilgesnipe hair in it, "Normally, the hair is supposed to react with the yolk-"

"Hey don't just breeze over that like it didn't happen!"

"There is nothing to breeze over. When the hair and the yolk make contact-"

"Loki," Maisy snapped, "Don't touch me without my permission again. Okay?"

He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"It has never bothered you before."

"Yeah, well that was before last night and this morning," she crossed her arms, "Just don't do it again."

"You are really still upset over last night?" As soon as the words left his mouth he regretted them, "Not that you do not have every right to be."

"I _am_ still upset, Loki!"

"I'm sorry, I did not mean to say you were behaving irrationally. I understand that you are more sensitive to the topic than I am."

"The 'topic'?"

"I promise I will not touch you again and I am sorry, once more, for last night. It occurred entirely because of my stupidity."

"Damn straight," Maisy nodded, "And thank you for the apology. Let's get back to work."

Loki taught her all of the basics and she failed her way through that. Then he had her practice one semi-impressive potion until she could do it without creating a minor explosion every time. He supposed it would have to do because by the time she'd completed it the sun was rising.

Both of them were immensely tired and they were glad to pause their work to watch the colorful sunrise. They sat in silence, yawning quietly as they watched for a bit. Then Maisy hopped off of her stool and carefully started cleaning up.

"You think you're done?" Loki asked teasingly.

"I think if I keep going I'm going to fall asleep in the middle of the competition, which would be worse than me messing up a potion. So I'm going to nap."

"That sounds wise," Loki suddenly recalled what she'd been through the previous day, "How are your ribs?"

"It feels like they were never even hurt. I wish I could make potions as well as whoever made the stuff that fixed me."

"Even I am not that good. No one mixes potions better than the healers in this palace."

Maisy nodded, yawned once more, and then started trudging off. Before she went, Loki remembered something else. He dug through his pocket and pulled out the ring Egil had returned. He couldn't sense any harmful or persuasive spells on it so he deemed it safe for her to wear again.

"Here."

"Oh! Thanks!" She took off her leather gloved and slipped it on, "Did he put up much of a fight about giving it back?"

"No," Loki said, "He sought me out to return it."

"That's suspicious."

"Indeed, but it is safe to wear. I checked as soon as he handed it over."

"Well, thanks. And thanks for the lessons. Hopefully I won't totally botch this round."

"Given Kree and Krylorian don't care much for potion making I'm sure you'll beat at least two of them. And from the way Egil was speaking it sounds as if Blaze does not do well in this area either. That leaves Tzefira and Melantha."

"Do you think they'll do pretty well?"

"No one could beat them except possibly each other. Elves are taught potions from a very young age."

"I guess third place isn't too bad," Maisy shrugged, "I'll see you later."

"Sleep well."

"Thanks."

She walked away and Loki watched her go with a frown. If he was going to convince her to stay in Asgard rather than go off with Egil, he was going to need to find a way to make her comfortable with his touch. After all, it would be difficult to establish any sort of relationship without physical connection. Perhaps he ought to forgo the friendly behavior of an ally and do what the rumors said he was and woo her. Of course, then he'd have to deal with the repercussions of that once the competition was over. She might get overly attached and Loki wasn't sure he wanted that since he'd probably be spending the next seventy or so years with her. Then again, she might absolutely hate him for it too and it could have the opposite of the desired effect. Women were tricky like that.

Shaking his head he gathered his ingredients and decided to think about it later. Maybe he'd ask Thor what he thought of the matter. Of course, Thor would probably get over excited and declare that Loki was truly in love with Maisy, when that was not at all the case. And it never would be. It would make the amicable marriage awkward if things got seriously romantic, this Loki was sure of and he was not willing to put up with a lovesick human, even if it was only for seventy years.

 **A note from the author: Thank you all for reading and favoriting and following! And special thanks to CheetahLover, Eliza, and ferbette! In regards to the content of two of the reviews: yes Mr. Sichore is an utter nuisance! There is one chapter where his annoyingness truly gets to shine and that is not too far off! So stay tuned for more angry hillbilly-ness! ;)**


	58. Chapter 58

Maisy wondered if any of the other contestants were nervous. They didn't look it, but in her opinion she was doing a pretty good job of looking as calm as a cucumber as well. Then again, she couldn't see her face so she might be showing just how panicked she was to the assembled judges.

There were not any casual spectators to this event. With no room for an audience to sit in a lab the only people watching her were Thor, Loki, the supposedly unbiased judges, and one representative from each entourage.

Odin was one of the judges and his skeptical gaze nearly made Maisy drop the ingredients she was trying to mix. Another judge was one of the palace healers, who was looking down her nose at all of the contestants - even the elves. The final judge was none other than Idunn, the lady who had sold Maisy some apples when she'd visited the market. Idunn was the only one who smiled kindly at any of the girls and it settled Maisy's nerves somewhat.

The whole set up of this event reminded Maisy of a reality TV cooking competition. Each of the girls had her own workstation and they all had access to an enormous pantry of ingredients to use. Plus, the judges kept wandering around and making vague comments. And Thor would announce how much time they had left every once in a while.

Having been taught in the wee hours of the morning how to make a potion and having never done anything similar before, Maisy wasn't actually sure if she was doing it right. She was attempting a potion that, when ingested, would cause the drinker to sprout temporary ram's horns. It had worked on Loki last night - though the evidence was long gone now - and she was pretty sure she was doing everything he said to, but she had also been very tired when she was learning about it so she couldn't be sure.

Was it supposed to be glowing green? The glow looked very similar to the aura around Fandral when he made a double or cast an illusion. Maisy quickly looked at Loki and saw he was staring intently at her table. She gave him an irritated look at he stopped the potion from glowing, right as Odin stopped by Maisy's table. She stared at him, worry probably evident on her face, and wondered if he'd caught Loki trying to cheat.

"And what is it that you are making, Midgardian?" Odin asked, his voice the most pleasant Maisy had ever heard it. She supposed he couldn't exactly yell at her or else he wouldn't look like an unbiased judge.

"Um, err, I am making, uh," Maisy was distracted measuring out her ground up ram's hoof and she had to stop for a moment to answer, "The one potion that makes people grow ram's horns?"

"Bekri Húnn," Odin nodded, "That is a rather complicated potion with no practical uses."

"Uh… huh," Maisy flashed him a quick smile before going back to measuring, "Yep."

"Many use it as a practical joke. I know Loki has many a time. When he was a boy it was one of his trademark potions to slip into his brother's drink," Odin said fondly, but when Maisy glanced up at him she saw his eye narrowed in suspicion, "Who on Midgard would have taught it to you?"

She dropped her measuring device and scrambled to clean up her mess, muttering incoherent phrases the whole time. Finally she came up with a plausible answer that didn't give away that Loki had been helping her.

"I learned it from Egil!"

"Belison?" Odin blinked in surprise and stared at her with a newfound fascination, "Your opponent's entourage member taught you a potion?"

Maisy's eyes went wide as she realized that Odin didn't know that she and Egil had dated. Surely he had to have picked up on it somewhere from someone. But he was looking at her with such confusion that she couldn't imagine that he knew.

"Uh… yeah," she glanced at Loki and he was giving her a curious look. He couldn't hear what she was saying from where he was but she desperately wanted to know if she should let Odin know about her past. Loki might have some sort of scheme that involved keeping the king in the dark and she didn't want to mess that up. However, she also didn't want to lie to him and have her get mad at her if he ever found out the truth.

"Why in the nine realms would he teach you a potion that might help you win? And how exactly do you know him? Your drawing book held his image if I recall."

"Um. I don't know," she looked down at the mess she'd made, "I've kind of gotta get back to work though, so if you wouldn't mind…" She waved her hand, motioning for him to go.

"Did you just shoo the king of Asgard?" Odin asked incredulously.

Maisy ignored him and pretended to be completely focused on her work. He tutted in disbelief and moved on to talk to Aoiba, who was brewing something foul smelling and bright yellow.

With Odin gone, Maisy really got back to work and was pleased with the progress she was making. When she looked over to the other girls she was even more pleased. Blaze had barely done anything beyond adding a phoenix feather to water and scowl at it, Aoiba was frantically fanning her concoction, and Die-An was mixing away, but her potion looked like it was hardening into a cement like creation and she didn't seem happy about it. Melantha was calm and collected, but her opposite, Tzefira was worrying her lip and adding handfuls of everything. The judges were giving the Light Elf frightened glances as little explosions continued to go off on her table.

Half an hour later Thor called for them to stop their work and Maisy was fairly certain she'd done exactly what she was supposed to. She hadn't had time to make the reversing potion as Loki had suggested, but she figured she'd volunteer to drink it herself so that no one else would have to walk around with ram horns for the next five hours.

The judges went to sit at a table at the head of the long laboratory. Maisy had been told this room was where the healers experimented with new droughts and potions, but it was nowhere near as pretty as the room she and Loki had worked in the night before.

Aoiba was summoned forward first and she carried her potion as if it was burning her hands. Given the way it was smoking it probably was. When she set it down on the table there was a sinister hiss and the princess winced. Maisy winced with her, feeling bad that things had obviously gone so poorly.

Odin was glaring at the yellow potion, the healer woman was looking nervous, and Idunn simply smiled at Aoiba and asked her what she'd made.

"I've made a - oh!" Aoiba ducked as the cauldron started spitting yellow blobs into the air. Odin recoiled with the healer. Idunn poked the cauldron and it settled down and cooled. She winked at the trembling princess.

"It's alright, you probably should have saved time for it to cool though," Idunn grabbed a ladle and scooped up some of the bright liquid, "Am I meant to drink it?"

"Well… in theory?" Aoiba tried to smile, "It is meant to be an everlasting deodorizer."

"What does that mean?" Odin asked.

"It means you drink it once and it is supposed to prevent your body from ever creating unpleasant smells again. Instead you smell of flowers."

"Can we get a bit of that over here if it works?" Loki called, making a big show of pinching his nose and gesturing to Thor. The contestants all laughed along with the entourage members. Even Idunn and the healer chuckled, but Odin merely glared at his second son.

"I will take a sip," Idunn announced.

"Do you really think that a good idea?" The healer commented, "The potion has obviously turned. It might harm you."

"Hmm, then it is a good thing you are here, my friend!" Before anyone could stop her, Idunn slurped down the contents of the ladle and Maisy could tell the kind woman was trying to keep from making a face.

"An odd taste to it," she commented, "Reminds me of how wet dog smells."

"How do we know if it works?" Odin asked.

"Ah,well…" Idunn looked mischievous, "Does anyone care to smell my armpit?"

The healer rolled her eyes and Odin rubbed his forehead tiredly. Maisy hand to clamp a hand to her mouth to smother her giggles. The other girls looked around disbelievingly.

"I'll do it!" Thor offered, "I'm sure it can not smell worse than mine."

The prince went over to Idunn and she obligingly lifted her arm. Thor gave it a good sniff and his face took on a slight green tint. He shook his head and Idunn laughed.

"Good effort, Princess Aoiba, but it does not appear to have worked."

"Oh dear," Aoiba said sadly, "I think I forgot to add the flower petals."

She cleared away her cauldron and Blaze was called to the stand. The red haired girl strutted with such confidence that Maisy wondered if her panic had been a show. However, when she put down her cauldron - sloshing some over the side - it was evident something was wrong. The potion consisted of ashy feathers floating around in water, looking sad. Blaze put her hands on her hips and nodded at the cauldron.

"I've made, uh, lighter fluid."

"What?"

"Here, let me show you," she pulled a match from her poof of hair and scratched it on the bottom of her boot, lighting it. She tossed it into the cauldron and it burst into flames. This impressed Maisy because she knew it was only water and feathers because there was no alcohol or other flammable liquid available for their use.

"How impressive," the healer crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, "You showed us how phoenix feathers are so flammable that they can make even water burn. Something we teach our children in their science classes."

"At least it did what she wanted it to," Idunn commented, "Surely she gets points for that?"

"Perhaps."

Blaze left her flaming cauldron on the table, prompting a servant to rush in and carefully carry it away. As the fire was taken away Melantha was summoned forward. She nodded respectfully to Idunn and the healer, but not to Odin, which caused muttering throughout the room. Maisy couldn't help but feel bad for the Dark Elf queen, even if her father had killed the Asgardian queen. Melantha seemed to want nothing but what was best for her people and here she was with two black eyes and bruising all over her face. Maisy couldn't help a gasp when Melantha pushed some of her hair behind her ear and displayed the fact that the pointed tip of that ear seemed to have been sewn back on. Tzefira had really done a number on her rival.

"And what have you made?" Idunn asked pleasantly.

"No doubt some poison parading as an invisibility potion so that she can kill us," the healer sneered. Odin grunted in agreement.

"Gwithi Deoch," Melantha stated, "Though it will be a milder version, seeing as Asgardians do not seem to stock the shells of Charm Beetles."

"A calming potion?" Idunn smiled, "How nice. I'll take a sip."

"Perhaps," Odin stopped her from reaching for the ladle, "Melantha ought to try it first."

This sent mutters running through the room. Firstly because he was suggesting that she'd poisoned it and secondly because even if he was the Allfather and ruler of the Realm Eternal, he was still meant to refer to other rulers by their titles and he'd painfully neglected to mention Queen Melantha's.

"Of course," she tried to smile, but her face was too bruised, "I am rather anxious after a timed competition so it will do my nerves good."

She snapped her fingers and a small glass appeared in her hand. She scooped up some of the black liquid and drank it in one swallow. A shimmer passed over her and her tense features relaxed instantly. As soon as she was done, Idunn reached out and took some of the potion herself, causing the same thing to happen to her.

"It works quite well!" The woman declared.

Melantha took her cauldron back to her table and sat down with a small smirk of pride.

Next was Die-An. As it turned out, her potion had become a giant green rock and was completely useless for its original purpose of causing all of one's hair to fall out. No one really wanted to lose their hair anyway, so the judges were glad they didn't have to sample it.

Then Maisy was called up and she carried her cauldron with shaking hands. She kept trying to remind herself of how cool this was even if she failed epically, but all she could picture was Odin as Snape and herself as Neville Longbottom. When she finally got the pot to the table she was openly frowning at the judges and unable to school her features into a friendlier expression.

"What have you made?" Idunn asked happily.

"Um, uh, I think it's called Bekri Húnn or something," she gestured to the stuff, "It's supposed to give you ram horns for a while."

"How charming! I haven't seen anyone use this since I was a youngster in school - and that was truly, truly long ago. Wasn't it Odin?" Idunn laughed, "I remember you put it in your brother's drink all the time!"

Maisy glanced at Odin in surprise. Not only because he'd obviously tried to put off his own misdeeds on Loki, but because he was the same age as the youthful looking Idunn. Maybe she really did have apples that let you live forever.

"I believe you are thinking of someone else," Odin mumbled.

"No, no! I recall it vividly. Cul was so upset that he threw a rock at you!"

"Mm."

"Well, I'd like to see what it's like to be a ram so I would love a sip of this!" Idunn slurped some up and the change was immediate. The horns spiraled out of her temples and she grinned, "It tastes of strawberry! How nice!"

"Thanks," Maisy blushed.

They dismissed her and she dared a look at Loki. Her blush intensified when she saw him beaming at her with pride and a hint of amusement. Thor was looking enthused as well and Dr. Banner, who was her present entourage member, gave her the thumbs up. She grinned and walked toward her station.

As she was walking back, Tzefira was walking forward, struggling to carry her heavy cauldron without sloshing it all over the floor. She all but dumped it on Odin and the other two judges and she tried to awkwardly laugh it off.

"What the hell is this?" The healer asked as the goop bubbled and popped.

"Astalda Deoch!" Tzefira declared, "A potion for bravery in battle!"

"Funny," the healer poked the cauldron with her ladle, "I could have sworn it was a pot full of troll drool."

"Ha!" Tzefira's laugh was so forced that she couldn't even smile.

"Were you never taught potions as a child?" Idunn asked curiously, "I thought it was somewhat mandatory of your tribe."

"I had more important pursuits to, uh, pursue! Like how to wield an axe!"

"I see."

None of the judges looked eager to try the goop, not even Idunn. And it was probably good that they didn't, as after a few moments of being stared at, the potion decided it wanted to explode into a ball of fire. Tzefira quickly grabbed a nearby pitcher of water and tossed it on the flames, putting them out. It only took a few seconds to come back to life and grow to a more impressive size than before.

"Odin's beard!" The healer exclaimed, jumping back. A few servants rushed forward and smothered the flames with thick blankets. This time the fire seemed content to stay put out.

There were a few moments of silence and then Odin announced he and the other judges would be discussing the potions and would announce the winner at the feast that night. Until then, everyone was dismissed and the contestants were told that there would be no even for the next day, given that it was Wednesday. This would have confused Maisy, but she'd been living in Asgard to learn that their weekend started on Wednesday (Odin's Day) and then Thursday (Thor's Day) and their back to work day was Friday (supposedly since it was named after Frigga it was meant to make getting back to work easier. What _was_ confusing to Maisy was that all of the members of the royal family had a day named after them except Loki.

Regardless, she was glad of the weekend starting and hoped she could relax a bit and maybe, just maybe, not train and study for every second of it. Or maybe not even think about it for a bit. Of course, as soon as she stepped out of the laboratory Loki, Thor, and Banner caught up with her and they had different plans.

"You did marvelously!" Thor declared, picking her up by her waist and spinning her around. She yelped in surprise and was grateful when he put her down - even if it was after the fourth spin.

"Thanks," she said putting her hand on his shoulder until the dizziness passed, "I was sure I was going to mess something up."

"Never! One would never know that you just learned how to do that last night!" Thor grinned, "Wait until I tell Jane! She will be so proud of you! As will Sif! And the other Avengers! And the Warriors Three! And that laundry girl who follows you around! I must tell everyone how well you did!"

The crown prince excitedly walked off and Maisy laughed watching him stomp down the hall. As he left Aoiba popped up with a smile and a friendly handshake (and a few lingering looks in Loki's direction).

"You are well versed in potions, Ms. Sichore!"

"Oh, uh thanks," Maisy blushed.

"You have done excellently, I am sure," there was a look in Aoiba's eye like she was thinking of something, but the look vanished quickly and was replaced by her normal doe-eyes. The princess walked away leaving Maisy with Loki and Bruce.

"That was very well done," Dr. Banner shook her hand and smiled, "Very cool."

"Thanks! You know, if you're interested in potions and stuff you should talk to the healers," Maisy suggested.

"I think I'll do that. I'd love to see how they work."

"See ya later!"

He went back into the lab and left Maisy and Loki alone, which had been her intention anyway. She looked up at him and he smirked down at her.

"Don't you look smug?" He commented.

"I _am_ smug. I probably got second place in an event!"

"Now you just need to get first and we'll really be getting somewhere," Loki offered his arm to her and she decided to take it. They walked arm in arm down the hall for a ways, chatting about the potion foul ups and wins. They were both impressed by how epically Tzefira had botched her project.

"I'm betting she put the eye of a cyclops in rather than the second eye of a triclops. Cyclop eyes have a tendency to explode."

"Did you see Odin's face when it caught on fire?" Maisy laughed, "Or his face when Idunn told everyone about how he used to play tricks on his brother? You know when I told him what potion I was making earlier in the competition he told me that you used to put that potion in Thor's drinks."

"Not once in my life," Loki swore, "When I was a child I used it on a girl I liked-"

"Sif?"

"Perhaps," Loki rolled his eyes, "Needless to say, she didn't appreciate it."

"I bet not," Maisy laughed, "I can't believe Odin pinned his story on you! Then he had it called out in front of everyone!"

"Yes, even I had not heard that before."

"Ooh! Did you see what happened to Die-An's potion?" Maisy asked, still excited about everything that had happened.

"I have no idea what she did to make it like that," Loki shook his head, "How she could mess up so badly is beyond me."

"But Melantha did so well! I was so impressed with how dignified she was even with all of those bruises and scrapes. And when Odin insulted her-"

"She deserved the insult."

"Oh yeah, sorry, I forgot you two have history," Maisy said awkwardly, "But anyway, I'm glad we worked so hard last night or else I might have ended up like Aoiba or something!"

"It didn't hurt that I boosted your potion halfway through," Loki chuckled and Maisy stopped in her tracks. This caused Loki to trip a little and he looked at her questioningly.

"So that was you?"

"Yes. So?"

"And you made my potion work?"

"Well, you weren't going to get anywhere using lamb fur instead of ram fur," Loki rolled his eyes, "Really, it was no big deal. You've no need to thank me."

"You're right I don't need to thank you! Sheesh!" She loosed herself from his arm and stormed down the hall in the direction she was pretty sure would lead to the library. Loki stared after her in confusion, but she refused to go back and explain to him why she was upset. In her opinion he ought to know already that it was wrong for him to cheat for her. Not to mention it made her feel awful for doing so well when she actually should have messed up.

 **A note from the author: Thank you for reading! And thank you CheetahLover and ferbette for reviewing the last chapter and TripleLLL for reviewing Chapter 7 (it might be a while before you see this note, or you may give up on the story and never see it, but I appreciate the review). Hopefully I will be able to post another chapter this evening! :)**


	59. Chapter 59

It was only an hour until dinner, which Maisy and Loki were both required to be present at, and Maisy was still hiding in the library. Loki supposed he ought to go apologize, though he really did not want to.

He could see why she was mad at him - she thought he'd cheated on her behalf and that it was dishonorable. Perhaps she was also disappointed that she hadn't actually been able to make a potion on her own. How irritating that people with high morals always wanted to win fairly or lose trying. Loki didn't see the problem with trying to win at all costs as long as you didn't get caught. But he knew she didn't see it that way.

So he found himself walking through the rows of books in search of Maisy so that he could give a carefully worded and manipulative apology. Such a hassle.

When he found her he almost wished he hadn't. She was sitting on a couch next to Egil Belison and they seemed to be engaged in civil conversation. If Loki was not mistaken, Maisy even cracked a smile.

He was tempted to walk in, pick her up and carry her away from her ex, but he had known her long enough to know that such actions would not go over well. So he waited behind a bookshelf and spied on them through the cracks between books.

"You mean we could go back to earth?" Maisy was asking hopefully.

"It might take a bit of maneuvering, but I'm almost sure that I could get Surtur to allow us to live there. As he is unable to leave Muspelheim, he needs spies everywhere. That's what I was doing before anyway."

"So if I lost and came with you then you'd take me home?"

"I'd certainly do my best," Egil slid a comforting hand onto Maisy's knee, "I know we haven't got along well lately, but if I could only get you away from _him_ then I'd know my vision would not come to pass. Things could go back to just the way they were."

"How do I know you aren't going to get super possessive and controlling again?" Maisy was looking at Egil hopefully, as if she _wanted_ to go with him, and Loki felt his anger growing, "I mean, you kept talking about 'owning' me and stuff a few days ago. Can I really believe that you wouldn't act like that even on earth?"

Egil sighed and cast his gaze downward. Loki felt like punching the manipulative idiot and throwing him off the Rainbow Bridge.

"Maisy, I know you were raised to believe in equality, and I do like the idea of it. On earth we can have that. I'd prefer to stay in Muspelheim because that is my home and that is where my life has been, but I know you would disapprove."

"Yes, I would."

"But on earth I can go back to the man I once was. I swear on my life that I will never try to control you on Midgard," Egil pulled her against his side and rested his cheek on the top of her head. Loki gripped the wood of the bookshelf until it started to crack, "Will you please save yourself the pain of further competition and just give up? Come with me."

She actually looked like she was considering it and that was the most horrifying part of this exchange. Loki could not believe that she was legitimately thinking of giving up everything they'd been working for because Egil told her he'd be kind to her again. He was just about to storm out and starting yelling at the pair of them when she slid out of Egil's grasp.

"I don't know," she shook her head and Loki caught Egil's eyes narrowing in displeasure.

"What can I do to convince you?"

"Egil, it's not all about what you do or don't do," she said, "There is a third person to consider in all of this."

"Oh please, he doesn't care one way or the other what happens to you," Egil laughed, "Loki is only interested in keeping you around so that he doesn't have to deal with another woman. And because he can't stand losing. That's all you are to him, a tool and a trophy."

"You don't know him," Maisy snapped, "He's been kind to me, okay? I know everyone thinks he's going to burst any second and kill everybody, but he's actually really nice."

"You're right, I don't know him," Egil commented, "But to be fair, I don't believe anyone really does. The only thing anyone knows for certain is that he cannot be trusted."

"I trust him."

"You shouldn't, Maisy, it is a fool's mistake to believe anything the god of lies tells you."

"Egil," Maisy put a hand on his arm, "I'll think about your offer, okay? I'll consider everything and if you really can get us back to earth then maybe I will go with you. But you have to give me some time to think about it."

"Very well," Egil squeezed her hand, "In the meantime may I walk you to dinner?"

"No, I actually need to go talk with Loki," she sighed, "I should probably apologize for overreacting to something that he did earlier."

"Oh?"

"He was only trying to help and I kind of stormed off when I found out about it."

Loki felt the urge to step out and quickly shut Maisy up before she could reveal exactly what he'd done. He had no doubt that if Egil knew he'd use it against them and probably tell the judges they'd cheated. But if Loki revealed himself then Maisy would know he'd been eavesdropping.

"What was it that he did?" Egil asked, brow raised.

Thinking fast, Loki disguised himself as the first person that came to mind and stepped out and greeted them loudly.

"Oh! Hi Linn!" Maisy smiled and then looked anxiously at Egil, "Um, this is…"

"Dat's what's his face!" Loki chirped in Linn's voice, "Eagle Belly-man or whatever."

"Yeah," Maisy laughed and Egil rolled his eyes. He offered his hand to Loki and Loki recoiled. Egil would remember Linn's face from his time hiding in her mind, but he clearly wasn't expecting Linn to remember him.

"No fanks, I don't shake hands with villains," Loki said, "If I do you might do somefing evil again."

"Again?" Maisy asked.

"He got all up in my head," Loki revealed. He hadn't told Maisy this before because he didn't want her to distrust her little pink friend, but if Maisy was starting to lean toward Egil it would be best to throw everything at him, "Took me over and made me do stuff!"

"Wait," Maisy hastily turned to Egil, "The spy you had in the palace was _Linn?!_ "

"Spy? I don't know what-"

"Loki told me that you had a spy in the castle who you were controlling," Maisy stood up and glared, just the response Loki was hoping for, "But I didn't know it was Linn!"

"I didn't hurt her-"

"Oh my gosh, Egil! You put a teenage girl through all of that? That's horrible!"

"I had to ensure that you were safe!"

"Ugh! How long were you doing it for?" Maisy turned to Loki, "Do you know how long you were working for him?"

"A long time."

"Egil! How could you?!"

"Maisy, just calm down. I had good reason to do such a thing."

"I don't care!" Maisy grabbed Loki's hand and marched them both out of the library. Loki couldn't help a very un-Linn grin as Egil sputtered excuses, getting up to follow them. When Maisy wasn't paying attention Loki enchanted the floor to look like there were many snakes swarming toward Egil. The other man yelped and stopped pursuing.

* * *

Linn was carrying an enormous load of laundry from the laundry room back to Aoiba's chambers, all the while humming to herself. As she lugged the clothing through the lesser used halls of the palace she noticed her favorite guard standing on duty. She grinned at him and he nodded seriously back to her.

"Linn," he said.

"Bjorn!" She laughed, "You're lookin' grouchy today."

"Just doing my job."

"Course you are," she poked his stomach and he didn't even flinch, "You hafta stay put or you wanna help me out?"

"I guess I could leave for a moment or two, how far are you going?"

"Guest wing," Linn jutted her chin in the direction, "You grab this handle and I'll grab this one."

She offered him one of the laundry basket handles and he set aside his spear to help her. They walked and chatted as they carried the basket. Right as they turned one corner they saw something strange ahead of them.

Maisy Sichore was walking, and holding hands with Linn. Which obviously didn't seem right since Linn was carrying a laundry basket with Bjorn the Guard. The two palace employees looked at each other and shrugged. They ignored the odd sight, assuming it was one of the magic wielders up to shenanigans again, and continued down the hall.

Maisy gaped at them as they passed and Linn waved with her free hand. The fake Linn looked alarmed and wiggled her fingers in the real Linn's direction. Real Linn looked down at herself and saw she had dark brown skin, though she was still wearing her laundress' garb. Bjorn gave her a confused look and Maisy looked ready to ask a question.

"Oi, you need help with dat?" Fake Linn asked, letting go of Maisy's hand, "This guy should really be at his post, right?"

"I mean if you wanna help you sure can," Real Linn smiled, "Bjorn can get back to work I guess."

"See ya, guard boy!" Fake Linn grabbed the handle of the basket and the two girls continued to carry it toward its destination.

"I'll see you at dinner, eh Linn?" Bjorn called.

Both Linn's waved.

"Yep!"

"Uh…"

"I could have sworn they were both Linn a second ago," Maisy muttered, walking away.

Real Linn and Fake Linn took the basket to Aoiba's room, passed it off to one of her private maids, and then both started walking back toward the laundry room. Real Linn didn't mind the company, but she was curious as to why there was someone pretending to be her and why she now looked like her friend, Ola. So after a few minutes she asked.

"So why are you me?"

Fake Linn looked around suspiciously and then shifted into Loki.

"I fought so! You walk too fancy to be me!"

"I apologize for the ruse, Linn, but if Maisy asks about it later could you do me a massive favor and pretend that you were the one walking with her?"

"I guess so," Linn shrugged, glad to look like herself again, though she thought it was fun to be as pretty as Ola for a time.

"And she now knows about Egil possessing your mind for a time. She's not happy about it, naturally," Loki smiled at this.

"Okay," Linn didn't know if she could actually lie to Maisy about walking with her earlier, and if she was outright asked she'd probably tell the truth - even if it meant Loki would get in trouble. As much as she adored both halves of the couple she leaned slightly toward Maisy because she'd heard Loki say he wouldn't hesitate to kill Linn if he needed to and that was rather upsetting. Still, she'd keep up the game for a while to keep them from fighting.

"So you'll keep this a secret?"

"I'll try!" Linn nodded.

"And that is why you are my favorite laundress," he leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the cheek, causing her to blush, "Now I must be off."

"See ya!"

Linn watched him stride majestically away and shrugged. She swung her arms as she walked, thinking of a catchy tune that Maisy had showed her from her telephone device. It was by some minstral called Taylor Swift and it was Linn's new favorite song. She hummed it as she walked and hoped that Loki wasn't up to anything that would make Maisy too mad.

 **A note from the author: As promised, two chapters in one day. :) Thank you to CheetahLover, Eliza, and ferbette for reviewing! :D**


	60. Chapter 60

Sitting with the other competitors at the dinner feast, Maisy felt rather small. She was still upset that she hadn't actually done as well as she'd thought in the potions event. It almost made her hope that Odin had discovered Loki's cheating and would make her come in last. Of course she also realized that she really needed the points after doing so poorly in in the hand to hand fighting the previous day.

When Loki, Thor, and Odin strode into the room, all of them decked out in shining finery Maisy felt her breath catch a little bit. Even in the helmet (which looked like it would belong on the catwalk of a more eccentric fashion show), Loki looked incredibly handsome that evening and she nearly forgot that she was mad at him. Thor looked impressive in his armor as well, but there was something about knowing that she was married to Loki and fighting to keep him that made him twice as attractive.

The royal family took their seats at the head of the table and Maisy couldn't help but notice that some of the nobles were whispering about how Loki should not be allowed that position. Loki looked quite pleased with this development and Maisy assumed that he was happy that Odin was obliged to let him sit there. Appearances were important when friends and enemies were both watching and a divided royal family was a weak one.

Before anyone could dig into the vast quantities of food that were set out, Odin's booming voice declared that he would announce the winners. Everyone fell silent.

"In sixth place, with an attempted potion of hair loss, is Captain Die-An of the Kree."

There was polite applause.

"In fifth, with an attempted potion of courage, is Tzefira Softbreeze of Alfheim."

The Light Elves clapped loudly.

"In fourth, with her lighter fluid potion, is Blaze of Muspelheim."

No one clapped, but a few people who'd been attendance earlier chuckled. Maisy was just surprised that she'd got fourth when Aoiba's potion hadn't even done what it was supposed to.

"In third, with her attempted eternal deodorizing potion, is Princess Aoiba of Krylor."

The Kryolorians clapped and nodded to the others in the room, hoping to get them to be excited as well.

"In second, with her ram's horn growth potion, is Maisy Sichore of Midgard."

"Whoop! That's our girl! Yeah Maisy!" Tony hollered and a few Asgardians rolled their eyes, including Loki.

"And in first, with her potion of calming, is Queen Melantha of Svartalfheim."

No one clapped. Even the Dark Elves remained quiet, but that seemed to be their way regardless. Maisy felt bad and decided to give some applause and the other Midgardians joined in. Melantha, who was sitting right next to Maisy, gave her a curious look and Maisy tried to smile in a friendly manner. Melantha quickly looked away.

"As one final announcement, there will be no events for spectators this Wednesday or Thursday, but each of the competitors will meet with Loki for two hours alone with him," Odin smiled a little and Loki looked like he was trying to do the same, but it came out an irritated grimace, "I am sure it will be a grand time for all."

Then dinner finally began and everyone partook in the feasting. Maisy was pleasantly surprised to find that her opponents all seemed chatty that night. Especially the elves on either side of her, but the others had much to say as well.

"How am I meant to fill two hours of dull conversation with him?" Aoiba groaned to Die-An, "I have a difficult enough time coming up with topics in the few minutes we talk together normally! And it isn't as if he tries to help at all!"

"Truly?" Die-An asked, "He does most of the talking when I am with him."

"Lucky."

"I wonder if he'd allow us to spar for our time together," Tzefira pondered, "That would at least be a useful thing to do, rather than stroll through flower gardens or something."

"I like flowers," Aoiba said quietly.

"And the gardens here are really pretty!" Maisy commented, earning a glare from Tzefira, "But sparring would be fun too."

"I only hope that Melantha doesn't incinerate him during their time together," Tzefira elbowed Die-An jauntily, "Perhaps she ought to go last just in case she loses control of that lighting, eh Melantha?"

"It is _Queen_ Melantha."

"You aren't my queen," Tzefira snapped.

"And of that I am glad," Melantha gracefully cut her food, "The tribe leaders of the Light Elves are insufferable enough. I doubt I could stomach being anything like your airheaded queen."

Tzefira called Melantha a rather rude name and reached for one of the various weapons at her belt. Melantha took an uncaring sip of her wine.

"You take that back!"

"Why should I? Queen Aelsa Featherwine is the silliest woman I've ever met - apart from perhaps that little Krylorian-Midgardian hybrid that follows Ms. Sichore around."

"Hey, leave Linn out of this!" Maisy said indignantly. She'd stopped feeling bad for Melantha.

"Queen Aelsa - may her reign be long and blessed - is a wise ruler!"

"Did she not once set Thor Odinson's beard aflame?" Melantha rolled her pale eyes, "Attacking an Asgardian royal is a rather stupid thing to do."

"Oh yeah, you're one to talk seeing as your father killed Queen Frigga! By your logic your father is an idiot - and that's the only thing I'd agree with you on!"

"Speak ill of my father again, Softbreeze, and I will gut you," Melantha growled.

"Please, you wouldn't be able to blink before I slit your throat, dark one!"

"How would you care to test that theory?"

"Hey, uh, Tzefira, could you pass me that fruit bowl?" Maisy said, trying to get the women on either side of her to calm down.

"What? Oh, sure," Tzefira did as asked, "How about after dinner you and I find a place to settle which race of elves is stronger once and for all? Hmm, Melantha?"

"How about those potato things, Your Majesty? Those look delicious."

"Yes, here you are, foolish human," Melantha passed the potatoes.

"So, you know, I've always been curious about what kind of animals you have of Svartalfheim, could you tell me a bit about them?" Maisy was quietly proud of herself for pronouncing the realm name correctly.

"What?"

"Um, the animals? On your home? Are there any?"

"Of course there are," Melantha snorted, "What _do_ they teach in your Midgardian schools?"

"Not about the animals of Svartalfheim, I can tell you that much."

"Why do you care?"

"I'm just curious."

"She's trying to stop you two from ripping each other's throat's out," Blaze piped up from Melantha's other side, picking her teeth with a knife, "But I'd kind of like to see you fight."

This made everyone fall silent until Maisy awkwardly brought up the animals of Svartalfheim again.

"Give it a break, Sichore," Blaze chuckled, "Stop living up to the annoying Midgardian stereotype."

"That _would_ be a stereotype throughout the galaxy," Maisy sighed playfully, "Do the other realms ever say anything nice about us?"

"The Kree quite like your kind! You are susceptible to the Terrigen Mist!" Die-An piped up with what could only be described as a smile, but it looked rather out of practice, "And apart from being extremely weak, I think you are a good person, Maisy Sichore, and I am glad to have made your acquaintance."

"Thank you, that's nice of you to say."

"I think Midgardian lust for war is admirable," Tzefira grunted, stabbing her dinner, "But otherwise the Light Elves view you as complete idiots."

"Oh."

"I am impressed that Midgard has survived this long," Melantha commented, "There are far too many powerful beings who would destroy it."

"Really?"

"Yes. However, I suppose there are also many powerful beings who would protect it."

"Well on Krylor we think humans are charming!" Aoiba smiled at Maisy in a way that a condescending teacher might smile at a student, "And quite good for having children with!"

Maisy had chosen the wrong moment to take a sip of her drink and she ended up in a coughing fit until Tzefira whacked her back.

"Um, what?"

"Terrans are compatible with Krylorians and it is not uncommon for my people to marry yours," Aoiba commented.

"Okay…" Maisy wasn't sure how to respond to that, "Cool?"

"Should you lose you might consider coming back with me. I'm sure any Krylorian man would take you! Perhaps even my younger brother!" Aoiba insisted.

"Thanks for the offer, but, uh, I'm good."

"Besides," Blaze said over a mouthful of food, " _When_ she loses she's already spoken for. Muspelheim is taking her as punishment for showing up early."

"Muspelheim is taking her?" Melantha asked, "That is absurd. She clearly did not mean to start this whole ordeal. She should not be punished."

"Yeah, but my king already made a deal with Odin. We get the Midgardian."

"Odin did agree to that," Maisy said glumly.

"Surtur and Odin making deals?" Tzefira snorted, "Nothing good can come of that."

Maisy didn't say anything else, but she wholeheartedly agreed. The rest of the evening they spent talking about more trivial matters, like how they would spend their allotted Loki time. Maisy found that she had a hard time focusing on that now that she was thinking about Muspelheim again.

Egil had claimed that he'd take her back to earth, but she wasn't sure that she believed him. He had never told her more than white lies, but he _had_ left out the fact that he was an immortal from space, so she supposed he could have lied many times to her without her knowing. She wanted to consult someone she could trust about it, but no one but Thor and Loki knew of her predicament with Egil. She didn't know if she could ask Thor without him giving her an overly enthusiastic response and she felt that asking Loki would open up a whole new can of worms.

She supposed she'd simply have to think on it herself and come to her own decision. Until then she would just do her best in the events and pretend like she was excited to be there.

 **A note from the author: Thank you ever so much for reading you lovely people! Thank you so much to the guest reviewer, CheetahLover, ferbette (that is the question, isn't it? Can we trust Egil? Or anyone?), and Eliza (I'm so glad you like Linn!). You are amazing people and I love every one of you! If FF would let me I would make a little heart, but half the heart always disappears so instead... HEART.**


	61. Chapter 61

His time with Aoiba was incredibly dull and boring that he couldn't even recall anything that happened during it apart from the fact that they'd gone to the garden. He'd named every single flower they came across and Aoiba only responded by calling it "beautiful". Loki wondered if perhaps she had been fishing for a compliment and he was meant to say something along the lines of "but the flowers aren't as beautiful as you". He probably should have said that, but when he was with Aoiba it seemed like his silvertongue fell asleep.

Now he was walking with Die-An through the forests surrounding the city. There was a large group of guards - Asgardian and Kree - following behind them, but it was still a pleasant enough day that Loki was in a good mood. Die-An was much quieter than Aoiba and she was content just to take in the beauty of the realm. Her eyes spoke volumes when her tongue did not, as she gazed in wonder at everything they passed.

"Ah, look up there," Loki put a hand on her shoulder and pointed up toward a branch, "That raven there is Hugin, one of my father's familiars. He's probably spying on us."

Die-An stared at the raven for a moment before stooping down, picking up a rock, and chucking said rock at the bird. Hugin croaked angrily as the rock just missed him and he looked as if he might flutter down and snap at them, but chose to fly away instead. Loki could scarcely stand for laughing so hard.

"Norns!" He wiped tears from his eyes and caught his breath, "You would not believe how many times I wanted to do that as a child!"

"I do not like to be spied on," Die-An said matter-of-factly.

"I doubt he shall try it again," Loki grinned, "Wait until I tell Thor!"

"If you had wanted to do that yourself why have you not done so before?"

"And have Odin yell at me for weeks on end? No thank you!" Loki put his hand on her shoulder again, "But he can't be cross with a guest - or at least, he can't yell at you!"

"Ah."

They continued onward and Loki still chuckled every once in a while thinking about it. Die-An gave him confused looks whenever he did so, but she didn't say anything and she was smiling. When they were walking back, since their two hours were nearly up, Loki spotted Hugin on another branch and saw that he'd brought his brother, Munin, with him this time.

"He has brought a friend," Die-An commented, "Odin birds, leave now!"

They didn't move beyond ruffling their feathers even when she waved her arms at them.

"Very well."

"Please tell me you are going to throw two more rocks," Loki grinned wickedly.

"Why throw two when I can so easily kill two birds with one stone," she picked up a rock from the side of the path that was about the width of a dinner plate and showed it to him. Loki wondered if she'd even be able to throw such a heavy object so high, but she surprised him by spinning with the rock in hand. Moving like a discus thrower, she released the rock and Hugin and Munin screamed their displeasure, flying away as the rock broke the branch they'd been sitting on.

"Die-An," Loki gasped when he could finally speak again, "I do not think your opposition will stand a chance at giving me a more enjoyable time than you have today."

"That is good," Die-An smiled again, looking more like she was in pain than like she was having a good time, but still somehow cheerful, "I had fun with you as well."

When they parted ways Loki was still smiling. He was chuckling to himself all the way to knock on the door of the next girl. He passed Thor in the halls and told him all about it. They spent a good five minutes laughing as Loki acted out what he'd just seen.

"I must thank the Kree girl personally," Thor boomed, "She is a true hero!"

"Agreed," Loki shook his head, "I should be on my way, but I thought you would enjoy knowing that someone dared to torment Odin's ravens!"

"I will be laughing about this for days to come!"

Loki and Thor both headed in opposite directions and Loki found the door to the room he was meant to knock on. He smiled as he knocked jauntily on the door. When the door opened and he realized who he'd be spending the next two hours with, his smile vanished.

"Hey princey boy," Blaze winked, "Where you taking me for our date?"

 **A note from the author: I do not know how you all feel about OC-heavy stories, but I quite enjoy writing these characters. Hopefully it doesn't make the canon characters OOC because I spend too much time on my own creations, but I have had way too much fun with this story. Seriously.**

 **Thank you for reading and following and favoriting and special thanks to CheetahLover and ferbette for the reviews! :D**


	62. Chapter 62

As it was lunch time when Loki and Blaze had their allotted time together, Loki decided the best course of action would be to take her to his favorite tavern in town. They had guards following them since Loki was still on probation and since no one trusted Blaze, but the guards stayed far enough back that it still felt like they were alone. How unfortunate.

They ordered food and drink and took a table in a secluded corner. Loki decided his best course of action would be to burrow into his food and eat slowly so he could avoid talking to Blaze. He was still furious at her for kissing him during the Bridal Procession and even more so because of what she'd done to Maisy during the fighting. She didn't really notice that he was avoiding talking to her, because she was also engrossed in her meal, but that didn't last long.

She burned through the food like a fire and then chugged her beverage. Loki was still eating and took a big bite so he wouldn't be able to answer if she asked him a question.

"This is nice," she commented leaning back in her chair and propping her boots up on the table, right next to Loki's food, "Great place, great food - terrible company."

Loki didn't respond.

"But you know, I guess we'll both have to get used to it, eh? Seeing as I have every intention to win your hand in marriage, princey."

"Hmm," Loki grunted with a roll of his eyes. She wanted him to play along and argue with her, but he wouldn't do it, choosing to keep munching instead. Her nasty smile grew and she started boredly braiding the spikey hair protruding from the back of her head.

"Oh, you'll get over it in time, I'm sure. You'll hate me for a while, but we'll pop out a few kids and bond over those," she winked at him, "How many kids do you want? I'm thinking five."

Loki nearly choked on his food, but apart from coughing he didn't react.

"Of course if Thor has more kids than that we'll have to make a few more, just because we want more in line for the throne then he's got. We might, you know, off a few of his brats and then slide ours right in line."

"You want to murder children?!" Loki asked incredulously.

"Glad to see you haven't swallowed your tongue," Blaze continued to braid her hair, "Yeah, I don't see why not. That's the only way we're ever gonna get on the throne, right? Odin's only got a few years left in him, then Thor takes the throne with that ugly little scientist and they have some kids. We kill the kids then you're next in line for the throne - with your loving wifey by your side," she batted her lashes at him, "And maybe Thor gets called off to handle a threat in Muspelheim and whoops! Meets an unfortunate end! Then us and our kids take over the kingdom. Boom bam done."

"You are speaking, very loudly, of treason," Loki commented, annoyed at he wasn't as horrified by the plan as he thought he should be, "I could tell Odin of the things you've said and he would have you packing to go back to Muspelheim with a snap of his fingers."

"Yeah, but you won't," she took her feet off of the table, slamming them onto the floorboards, and leaning forward with a leer, "Because you're thinking it isn't the worst idea in the realms. You're thinking that you might just like to have that throne, even if it means having someone you hate by your side."

"I could easily accomplish such a thing without you too," Loki pointed out, "I don't need you."

"Yeah?" Blaze drummed her fingers on the table, "You think wittle Maisy-Waisy is going to let you get away with something like that? You'd have to lock her up and the Asgardians wouldn't be too happy about _that_. And Maisy would hate you. Unhappy wife, unhappy life."

"Perhaps I do not need Maisy either," Loki said, remembering how Maisy had been considering abandoning him so easily. He could do the same.

"Well let's look at your other options then! Aoiba doesn't look like the kind of person who could stop you from doing anything you wanted, but do you really want to be married to that snoozefest forever? You ain't gonna marry Melantha, that we know. Tzefira is far too 'honorable' to go along with a scheme like that. Can you picture Die-An agreeing to murdering poor innocent children? Cuz I can't. She may play tough, but I've watched her homesick tears and heard her cry about missing her little siblings."

Loki briefly wondered if it would be a bad idea to address such a thing next time he saw Die-An. He felt bad for laughing when she was feeling miserable.

"Perhaps I'll marry one of them anyway and just kill her at the same time Thor has his accident," Loki commented, feeling more and more uneasy about this conversation.

"You could, but then you'd have to go through the process of finding a new queen, because every king needs one. That's why Odin's doing so poorly these days you know, he misses that hoity toity ugly mess of a wife, Frigga-"

Loki had his dagger at her throat faster than she could blink.

"I dare you to say one more malicious word about Queen Frigga."

"Wow, touchy!" Blaze put her hands up, eyed the knife, and swallowed, throat bumping against the blade, "I'm just saying that Odin's health is failing because he misses her so much. All of the realms can sense that he won't last much longer."

"He's fine," Loki lowered his knife and rolled his eyes, "He's doing better than I'd like, actually."

"Anyway, I'm just giving you some things to think about," she tapped her wrist, "I think our two hours are nearly up. See you later, princey boy!"

She all but skipped out of the tavern, leaving Loki flailing. He couldn't stand the fact that she understood so well what he wanted. Moreover, he hated that she truly did seem like his best choice of wife if he was to ever take the throne.

* * *

Returning home, deep in thought, Loki didn't even notice that Maisy was out on the balcony. She was also pondering things so she didn't notice him come into the room either. She did, however, jump to attention when Loki absently closed and locked the balcony doors.

"Hey!" She knocked on the glass doors until he faced her with a dazed expression, "Can you unlock these?"

He obliged with a slightly embarrassed laugh.

"I did not see you."

"It's cool, man," she waved it away.

"How are the ribs?" Loki realized that they didn't really speak the night before and he really hadn't said anything to her since he'd revealed he'd cheated for her.

"All better, thanks for asking!" She smiled, running her hand up and down her side, "Doesn't even hurt!"

"Listen, Maisy," Loki began, knowing he owed her an apology even if he didn't feel like giving it, "About the potions…"

"I'm sorry I marched off in a huff," Maisy cut in.

"You are?"

"Yeah," she shrugged, "I hate that I didn't get second fairly, but I should have seen it coming."

"Seen what coming?"

"The cheating. I've known you long enough to expect something like that," she laughed and Loki furrowed his brow.

"You think it is in my nature to cheat?"

"Isn't it? Lying, cheating, mischief? Those are kind of your things, right?"

"Right," Loki didn't know why he was bothered by the fact that she wasn't upset at him any more. She should be mad that he'd done something against her morals, not brushing it off because she expected it of him anyway, "Regardless, I am sorry to have hurt your feelings by doing it."

"Well, thanks for the apology," Maisy smiled brightly at him, "So how was your day?"

"Aoiba nearly caused me to fall asleep while standing up, Die-An made me laugh harder than I have in years, and Blaze told me that if she and I were wed she'd kill Thor's future children."

"What? Whoa, she's more messed up than I thought."

"Indeed. Now I only have to survive spending time with Melantha and Tzefira and my obligations shall be fulfilled. And you, of course."

"So um," Maisy wrung her hands and avoided looking at him, "I was wondering if instead of doing two hours together - since we really don't need to anyway - if you'd maybe agree to having dinner with my dad and I?"

"Joshua Sichore?" Loki gaped at her, "You want me to eat dinner with your father?"

"I was just thinking it would be nice. Then we can kind of put his mind at ease that there really isn't anything between us, you know, r-romantically," she took a step back when he closed in a step, "Uh…"

"So you want me to spend two hours with a man who thinks the only interest I have in you is to impregnate you?"

"Uh, yeah, I mean, if you don't mind," she took another step back and Loki chuckled a bit, "You know, just to, um, to reassure him that, uh… that, you know, you aren't going to do _that._ "

"Certainly, if it will make you feel better," Loki smirked at her and backed off a bit, "Though I do not know if I will survive his wrath."

"You'll be fine!" Maisy seemed to breathe a little easier now that Loki was the subject of conversation and not herself, "He might try and push you around, but once he knows how nice you actually are-"

"You think I'm nice?"

"Not to everyone," Maisy laughed softly, "But at least to me. And Linn. And sometimes Thor. I think you're nice."

"I would disagree," Loki crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, "I have a reputation to maintain, you know."

"Well I hope you'll at least be polite to my dad. I am not going to referee you two for that long. So if you don't think you can be polite you'd better say so now."

"I swear I'll act with all civilness toward your father. Even if he does not supply the same courtesy," Loki nodded.

"Thank you," Maisy grinned and put a hand on his arm, "Maybe you'll even end up liking him!"

"The racist deranged man wants to kill me?" Loki asked, "Doubtful."

"Okay, maybe it's a bit of a longshot."

"Just a bit."

 **A note from the author: I apologize for my** **in-activeness** **yesterday and to make up for it I will** **attempt to post this evening as well.**

 **I do not know about all of you, but I, for one, agree with that one person on my poll who voted for Blaze. At least as far as writing them goes. She is so much fun to write because she can be so incredibly awful.**

 **In any case, thank you all for reading and favoriting and following and especially for reviewing because it is so wonderful to get feedback on something and learn that people actually like it. So thank you to ferbette (you hate Odin so much that I'm suspicious that you might actually be Loki... ;)) and darkangelynn5 (I have PMed you about your review).**

 **Until later!**


	63. Chapter 63

Tzefira requested that they spar for their date and Loki reluctantly obliged her. He'd always hated sparring. Training had a purpose, but sparring simply to spar was foolish. She beat him, though he wasn't sure if it was because she was better than him or because he was immensely bored and didn't really try all that hard.

When they parted ways he gave her knuckles a quick kiss, just to show that he was trying to be a good host and she actually blushed before walking off. Loki wondered if any of the men on her home realm had ever shown any interest in her before - or any man for that matter. She was so obviously only interested in war and fighting that Loki couldn't imagine her having any suitors. He wondered if she was even here by her own volition or if her mother had insisted that she come. Tzefira might enter for the arena fights, but if there was the catch of having to get married he couldn't imagine her wanting to participate.

He thought about it as he went to pick up Melantha. She opened the door before he could knock and immediately started walking with him. He had to rush to keep up with her deliberate steps. Half a dozen Dark Elf guards followed closely behind them, standing separate from the Asgardian warriors that were following Loki.

"How do you fare today, my lady?" Loki asked.

"I am in constant awe of the golden spires of Asgard," Melantha said, gesturing to a pillar decorated in gold, "So much gold. Don't you ever wonder where it came from?"

"Not particularly."

"Well a prince brought up not even knowing his true heritage must not be that observant so I do not blame you," Melantha was walking with a clear destination in mind, but what worried Loki was that it seemed her destination appeared to be the Vault.

"I thought I might show you the library," Loki put his hand on her arm in an attempt to turn her, but the elven guards were on him in a flash and the Asgardian guards were on the elves even faster.

"I suggest, unless you wish to start a war, that you do not touch me."

"Apologies," Loki let go of her and put his hands up. All of the guards backed down, glaring at each other.

"I have already seen the library. Care to show me the Vault?"

"I do not think Odin would approve."

"You mean that I am likely to stir up much trouble if I go there," Melantha sighed and then turned her cold gaze on him, "Must we do this?"

"Spend time together?"

"We both know that you will not choose me - nor would I accept you if you did. I am here for political connections and appearances," Melantha crossed her arms, "Everyone knows you are already taken with the Midgardian so I do not know why Odin even suggested this idiotic activity."

"Everyone thinks I have already chosen Maisy?"

"It doesn't take a genius to realize it. Your brother's friends are her entourage. She wears your color in her hair. And do not think I did not notice the ring she wore yesterday. You've already proposed, haven't you?"

"You are right that I favor her," Loki admitted, "Perhaps not the wisest decision, seeing how weak she is."

"And the proposal?"

"No comment."

"Well," Melantha looked at an elegant black necklace watch, "We've spent fifteen minutes in each other's company. May I go?"

"If you wish," Loki gave a mocking bow, "I won't stop you."

Without another word, Melantha spun on her heel and snapped at her guards. They all left and went back the way they'd come. Loki was glad not to have to spend time with the daughter of his mother's killer.

With his first two dates for the day out of the way, he only had one left. One that would likely be the most uncomfortable of them all. He'd never had to deal with the father's of women he'd been interested in before. Or else, it was some nobleman who was practically shoving his daughter at the prince anyway. Loki had never been an unwanted and frowned upon suitor.

When he got to his chambers, he knocked on the door just as he had for everyone else. It took Maisy a few moments, but she finally opened the door, wearing her denim pants and black and green shirt. When she saw it was him she smiled and he bowed.

"My lady, I hope you are prepared for our afternoon together," Loki winked at her.

"As I'll ever be. How about you?"

"I am fully prepared to go to battle - sorry, I meant, 'engage in civilized conversation with my father-in-law'," Loki offered his arm to her and she took it, "You are wearing your Midgardian pants."

"Yes?"

"Just an observation," he began to lead her to the palace exit so they could go find her father in whatever inn he was staying in. When they got to town Loki found it fun to watch Maisy's amazed expressions at everyone and everything that passed by them. He expected her to verbalize her excitement, but she just silently stared, eyes wide.

She'd seen the town before, when they'd gone to market, but market days were always crowded and loud. They didn't show off the true splendor of Asgard's people. Now the Midgardian woman was able to take in everything and she looked like she was enjoying herself.

"Did you see that?!" She yelped when a low flying patrol ship passed over their heads, "It was like a floating boat!"

"Yes, probably transporting guards from the edge of the city back home for the day."

"Whoa."

She watched it move toward the guard outpost near the palace and when it was out of sight she went back to staring at absolutely everything else around them. Loki took note of her enormous smile and felt the odd urge to make her that happy more often. He rolled his eyes at the thought, but it still lingered.

"You look smug," she commented, glancing at him, "What did you do?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing. I was just thinking."

"Happy thoughts?"

"How could they be anything else when I'm with you?" He winked and she blushed to his delight.

"Calm down, it's not like this is a real date or anything," she was still smiling though.

"No, I suppose not," he pointed at the inn they'd stopped in front of, "Most romantic outings do not involve visiting the woman's father."

"I dunno, my friends were always taking their SO's to meet their parents when they got serious. Of course, I wasn't about to introduce my boyfriend to my dad… or even tell him that he existed," she elbowed him playfully, "But you aren't my boyfriend, so maybe this will go well."

"No, I am not your boyfriend," Loki chuckled, and thought to wrap his arm around her shoulders, but recalled that she did not want him to touch her without permission anymore. His arm dropped somewhat awkwardly.

"Shall we?" She gestured to the door, "You ready?"

"I suppose," Loki held the door for her and they went in to deal with Joshua Sichore.

 **A note from the author: Dun dun dun! I can't wait to post the next chapter tomorrow. You'll love it. I loved writing it. That is all I shall say on the matter so that you can fully enjoy it. ;)**

 **Thank you for reading and favoriting and following and special thanks to the guest reviewer and ferbette for reviewing the previous chapter! :D**


	64. Chapter 64

"Dad," Maisy sighed, rubbing her forehead, as her father threw back his third glass of whatever he was drinking, "I am not being brainwashed."

"That's just what he wants you to think, honey," Mr. Sichore patted her arm clumsily. Apparently whatever he'd been drinking was an alcoholic beverage, "I heard that he could even get those SHIELD nuts to do whatever he wanted when he was in New York!"

"That was because I possessed a scepter at the time that allowed me to do that. It is not a capability I normally have. Ask anyone," Loki was also throwing back a lot of drink and Maisy was regretting her choice to be the only one without something strong at the table. She'd thought this conversation should be a sober one, but her father didn't seem to agree. Of course, she knew he was just drinking because he thought it would give him courage. He always got his most crazy when he was scared and he'd been acting really crazy ever since setting foot in Asgard.

"Fine. You aren't mind controlling her," Mr. Sichore allowed, "But, Maisy, how can you be so happy looking even though you are chained to this _freak_?"

"Dad!" She sent a worried glance in Loki's direction and, though he didn't look mad, Maisy was nervous upon seeing the mischief in his eyes, "Dad, he's not a freak, he's actually pretty normal."

"Thank you, Maisy," Loki smirked, taking another sip of his wine.

"You can't possibly be happy here, though, right?"

"Why couldn't she?" Loki snapped and Maisy groaned, knowing what was coming.

"Because this place is insane! Flying boats, flying people, goblins and monsters around every corner! It's like we've walked into a freaking Tolkien novel!"

"Perhaps Maisy enjoys that," Loki countered, leaning forward by the smallest amount, "You should have seen the wonder on her face earlier! I doubt anything on earth could make her as happy."

"Guys…"

"Well that's a damn shame because she is coming back to earth, remember?" Mr. Sichore snapped, leaning forward as well, "You said we'd try to find a way to get her there. Were you lying when you said it?!"

"Half the things I say are lies, but-" Loki admitted and Maisy really wished he hadn't.

"So you're a liar as well as an alien monster?! Maisy, how can you stand being around a liar like him?!"

"Dad-"

"I was _not_ lying when I said I would get Maisy back to Midgard," Loki snapped, "I would not keep her here against her will any longer than necessary."

"Ha! So you admit you've been keeping her against her will!"

"Oh. My. Gosh," Maisy face-planted on the table, "He is not! C'mon Dad!"

"Maisy-"

"No, you need to listen to me!" She sat up straight and glared at him, "I am a grown up woman, okay? I know you'll always see your little girl who can't think for herself, but I _am_ capable of making my own choices! And capable of knowing whether or not I'm safe."

"And you aren't safe here!"

"Maybe not, but it's not like I'm any safer on earth, right? In New York City crazy things happen all the time!" Maisy neglected to mention that no one had ever threatened her life in New York, whereas Drin had done just that. She also didn't mention that she'd killed a person because that was one sure way to make sure they never discussed the matters at hand.

"But on earth-"

"Does earth have a group of fierce warriors ready to fight to protect her at a moment's notice?" Loki asked, "Because here there are many who would, myself included."

"No matter what you think, Dad, I can look after myself," Maisy put her hand on top of Loki's, "I also want you to stop freaking out about Loki."

"No. That I won't do," Mr. Sichore shook his head forcefully, "He's an alien! He just wants you to-"

" _He does not want to freaking breed with me!"_ Maisy yelled, just a bit too loudly. The other customers in the tavern raised eyebrows and she blushed, sinking lower in her seat, "So can we _please_ drop this issue?"

"I need to hear him say it," Mr. Sichore crossed his arms and glared at Loki, "I need him to swear on his life that he'll never knock you up."

Maisy looked hopefully to Loki and he simply looked amused. She desperately hoped he was not about to say something clever. Now was not the time for cleverness, now was the time to promise Maisy's dad whatever he wanted to get him to shut up.

"I swear on my life and my mother's grave," Loki put his hand over his heart and very seriously met Mr. Sichore's brown eyes, "That I will make no attempt to interact with Maisy in that way… unless she wants me to."

Maisy took a deep breath and closed her eyes, waiting for what she knew was coming.

" _She'd never want you to, you alien scumbag!_ " Joshua Sichore bellowed, throwing his cup of whatever aside and leaping across the table. He'd had a smidgen too much of whatever and almost missed, but he did succeed in knocking Loki to the floor.

Guards by the door looked at each other nervously, wondering if they should do anything. Maisy sent them an apologetic expression and got up to try and pry the two men apart before Loki lost his patience and did something stupid, like kill Mr. Sichore.

"Dad!" She grunted, trying her best to grab hold of his shirt. It didn't work because he and Loki were officially rolling across the tavern in a full out brawl. Many men started chanting for them to "fight, fight, fight" even though that was exactly what they were already doing. Maisy was frantically chasing after them ordering them to stop.

"Get off before I hurt you, Midgardian!" Loki snapped, giving Mr. Sichore a good shove and sending him flying into the bar. Maisy winced as she heard something crack. She wasn't sure if it was her father's back or the wood of the bar, but either way, her dad wasn't giving up. He got right back to it and actually punched Loki in the eye hard enough to make him wobble.

"Stay away from my daughter or I'll kill you! You hear?!"

"Or perhaps I'll kill you and then I won't have to worry about your annoying pretending to want to protect Maisy anymore!"

"It isn't pretend!"

"Be honest, you're just putting on a show because you'd be embarrassed if anyone found out you have someone not of earth for a son-in-law."

"I just don't want your filthy alien hands on my daughter! I'm her father, I know what's best for her!"

"You do not, you foolish man," Loki threw Mr. Sichore again, but he pounced right back in. Maisy groaned and turned to the guards, who were joining in the chants for them to fight.

"Can't you do something?!" She asked them, "He's your prince isn't he? And someone's attacking him!"

"I mean, if it were Thor then we'd totally do something…" One of the guards shrugged.

"Don't worry, my lady, Loki is scrappy. I'm sure he'll be able to take care of one pesky Midgardian," another guard assured.

"Yeah, I know that!" Maisy flinched when Loki's knife appeared in his hand, "But I don't want the Midgardian to get hurt! He's my dad!"

"Oh," the guards looked at each other again, shrugged, and tried to move to separate the fighters. They really didn't have to do much to Loki. All they really had to do was pull the struggling Mr. Sichore off and hold him between them as he kicked and squirmed. He spewed out foul curses and called Loki names Maisy hadn't heard since her dad used to yell at her mom when he was a drunken mess. One of the guards put a hand over his mouth with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, my lady, we would have stepped in sooner if we'd known he was your father."

"Ugh," Maisy shook her head and glared at Loki, "Are you okay?"

"Of course," Loki straightened his tunic and squared his shoulders with a smile, "That was fun."

"Dad, are you okay?"

The guard uncovered his mouth.

"I'll kill him!"

The guard covered his mouth again.

"I'll take that as a maybe. Guys, could you please take him to a healer and then bring him back here and lock him in his room? I'm afraid that if he gets out again he'll actually hurt somebody."

"We're supposed to make sure Loki doesn't do anything, you know, illegal."

"He's not going to," Maisy turned her glare back on Loki, hands on hips, "Right?"

She didn't feel very intimidating, having no practice at it previously, but Loki quickly agreed with her. Proud of herself for diffusing the situation, she turned back to the guards.

"I'll keep an eye on him. We're just going back to the palace, he can't get in that much trouble even if he was dumb enough to try. My dad on the other hand…"

"Right. Careful with him, my lady, he's a slippery one," one of the guards warned before the hauled Mr. Sichore away to be healed.

Maisy scowled after them, grabbed Loki's hand and started speed walking them back to the palace. She didn't say a word as they walked, though Loki tried to get her to.

"For such a tiny man he does have a nice swing!"

Maisy didn't respond.

"You know, my time with Die-An was fun, but this was much needed. I haven't been allowed to get into a good brawl with anyone for quite some time. No one has been stupid enough to try and attack me and I'm not stupid enough to break Odin's rule and attack anyone else. This was truly refreshing."

Maisy just looked straight ahead and kept walking. Loki took the hint and shut up until they got back to their chambers. She then collapsed on the couch and buried her face in a pillow. Loki chuckled and slid her feet off the couch to make room for himself. Maisy sat up and gave him a solid whack with the pillow. It only caused him to laugh more.

"Honestly, that went much better than I thought it would," he said.

"' _Unless she wants me to'?!_ " Maisy hit him again with the pillow and he was smart enough to take it away from her, "Why couldn't you just leave that part off, Loki? Did you have to get him riled up?!"

"Sorry," Loki shrugged, "I cannot see the future, I did not want to make a promise I could not keep."

"And what is that supposed to mean?!" She had no pillow so she just slapped his bicep.

"Just in case," Loki smirked, "We might get more attached to one another than we thought we would. I do not like to break promises."

"Ugh!" Maisy got up off the couch and began anxiously pacing the room, "You know perfectly well that you have no problem breaking promises! You broke one to me just now!"

"Oh?"

"You said you'd be polite to my dad! And you were wrestling with him all over the bar!"

"It wasn't _wrestling_ it was _brawling_ ," Loki pouted, arms crossed, "And I was just defending myself! Before that I was being completely civil."

"You are _impossible!"_ She felt like stomping her foot and ignoring him for the rest of the day, but she didn't want to leave with another argument hanging between them. So, she sat down at the table and took a few deep breaths with her eyes closed. When she opened her eyes Loki had quietly taken the seat across from her, watching her carefully.

"What?"

"Are you truly upset, Maisy?"

"A little," she muttered, "But I should have expected something like that, I guess."

She saw him wince at that and wondered why he would be bothered.

"Expected what?"

"For you to just _have_ to throw in one smartass comment and set my dad off," she rolled her eyes and sighed again, resting her arms on the table and then resting her chin on her forearms, "But that's your thing, isn't it? Mischief."

She was beginning to realize how irritating it was to constantly have to deal with his "trickster" nature. Egil was right, the only thing she could trust about him was how untrustworthy he could be. He'd always throw everything off kilter simply for a joke. She was noticing it more and more lately and it was making her more and more frustrated with Loki.

"I was simply allowing for a loophole," Loki's eyes were narrowed.

"Yeah, one we aren't ever going to need!" Maisy scoffed, sitting up straight and glaring at him, "Right?"

"Right," Loki didn't sound like he completely agreed. And was that disappointment she heard in his voice? She hoped it was her imagination.

"But anyway," she started to push away from the table, "It's fine. It's my fault for suggesting that you talk to my dad when I _knew_ you couldn't keep from riling him up. Totally my fault."

"Don't play the pity game with me, Maisy," Loki rolled his eyes, "It won't work."

"I don't know what you're talking about," and she didn't, "I'm sorry I brought you to talk to my dad. And I'm sorry that he punched you in the eye."

"Hold on a moment!" Loki jumped up when she stood, "You think that I am incapable of behaving myself? Is that it?"

"Honestly? If there is a joke to be made I know you'd make it before considering the consequences. Just like today," she didn't mean to say the next bit out loud, but it just slipped out, "It's _one_ thing I can always trust you to do."

"You," Loki's brow furrowed and anger filled his eyes, "You don't trust me?"

Maisy blinked as she realized she wasn't sure. She took a moment too long to respond, however, and Loki jumped to his own conclusions.

"You don't!" He looked like someone had slapped him in the face - a look partially helped by the bruises forming where Mr. Sichore had hit him. "But I suppose you trust Egil."

"No."

"You think he has your best interest at heart? He'll kill you as soon as you become a nuisance to him."

"Oh, and you wouldn't?" Maisy crossed her arms.

"If you think he's so wonderful, why don't you just give up now and run away with him? Hmm?" Loki sneered, "I know you want to."

Maisy stared at him, wondering if he knew about the conversation she and Egil had. Linn might've told him, she supposed. But Linn didn't seem like the type to tattle. He must have just been guessing. Throwing out words that he thought would hurt her.

"Loki," she sighed, "I don't want to go with Egil, I already told you. And, if I'm being honest, I trust you a heck of a lot more than I trust him."

"You- you do?"

"Yeah," she looked up at him from across the table, "Even if he claims he can go back to the person he was I don't think I can ever trust him. The dude sent a lindworm after me, who knows what else he'd do?"

As she spoke the words she came to her decision. Egil was too unpredictable. He would always hold a piece of her heart, but she could never be with him again after all of this. It just wouldn't work. He was too unstable. What if he one day decided he was tired of earth and stole her away to Muspelheim? She'd have no freedom there. Come to think of it, she might not even have any freedom on earth with him. Even if she didn't exactly want to be in Asgard, if she stayed with Loki there was a better chance of things going back to the way they were. She could possibly get back to Midgard someday.

"I'm sorry," she stepped around the table and put a hand on his arm, looking up at him, "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings when I said I should have expected misbehavior from you. Sometimes though, it just feels like you do stuff just to be a pain in the butt."

"You are right," Loki looked down at her, "I do a lot of things just to be a pain in the butt."

"You said butt," Maisy snorted at his posh voice.

"But I shall endeavour to cut it out in the future. At least, when you need me to."

"Thank you."

"And you truly will not go with Egil?"

"Nope," Maisy smiled, "As long as you don't marry that crazy Blaze lady."

"Deal."

 **A note from the author: Ta-da! This chapter was too much fun to write and I hope you enjoyed reading it! Thank you for doing so and for favoriting and following! And special thanks to ferbette and CheetahLover for reviewing! :)**


	65. Chapter 65

Now that Maisy had come to a decision, she knew she needed to let Egil know. Even if he wasn't going to like it she still owed it to him to tell him in person. Glad she and Loki were back to getting along, she decided to tell him. Not only because he'd probably wonder where she was if she just up and left the room, but also because she wanted at least one person to know where she'd gone. In case something happened.

"Hey, I need to go talk to Egil about something," she said from her position on the couch. Loki had been practicing some sort of spell off in the corner and green lights flared everywhere when Maisy broke his focus. He looked her way with a hard to read expression and Maisy again wondered if someone had told him about her private discussion with her ex two days ago.

"Would you like me to come with you?" Loki asked. His voice wasn't sinister or possessive at all and Maisy appreciated it.

"Nah, I think I'll be fine," she stretched a little and stood up, "If I'm not back in, like, half an hour… well it would be nice if you'd try to come find me."

"Certainly," Loki was watching her carefully.

"Um, you don't happen to know where he's staying do you?"

"I know where Blaze is staying and I assume he is near to her. If not, I'm sure she knows where he is," Loki said and then explained how to get to Blaze's room.

"So I'll see you later, cool?"

"Of course. Be careful."

Maisy nodded, feeling a little suspicious of Loki's calmness, but she supposed after all the arguing they'd been doing lately they were both tired of fighting over little things. So she grabbed her backpack, slung it over her shoulder, and started to walk.

When she got to the section of the palace that Loki had described to her she was surprised to see Blaze and Egil both standing in the hallway arguing. Maisy felt that a cooler person or Loki would have had the sense to duck and hide, get in some eavesdropping, and find out what they were arguing about. However, Maisy was never sure what to do when other people were arguing so she froze in the middle of the hallway and stared openly at them. Lucky for her, they didn't seem to notice.

"He's not going to fall for it," Blaze was saying, arms crossed and hip jutted to the side, "I threw all of my best points at him and he's still more interested in Sichore."

"Then stop throwing points at him and start throwing curves," Egil gestured to his accomplice, "You're pretty enough, aren't you?"

"You want me to try and _seduce_ him?" Blaze laughed, "I don't think so!"

"Just try it. You do know how, don't you?"

"Oh shut up," the girl growled, "Ugh, I hate being back in Asgard. I _hate_ it."

"Too bad. You're staying here for the rest of your life if I have anything to say about it."

"Gah, you couldn't have picked someone else?"

"You know the most about the realm," Egil pointed out and then caught Maisy out of the corner of his eye, "Maisy!"

"H-hey," Maisy waved awkwardly.

"How long have you been standing there, Sichore?" Blaze's hand went to her dagger.

"I just walked up," Maisy lied, "I just wanted to talk to Egil, but if this is a bad time-"

"Not at all!" Egil left Blaze and his sour expression behind, "Come into my room and we can talk about whatever you like."

They went into one of the guest rooms and Maisy was feeling confident in her ability to tell him what she'd come to tell him until she heard the door lock. She spun and glared at him, but he only shrugged.

"Just to keep others from coming in and interrupting us. It isn't as if you cannot unlock it from in here," he pointed out.

"Alright, fine," Maisy stuffed her hands in her pockets and looked him in the eye, "So, I've been thinking a lot about your offer-"

"Wait! Before you say anything else, I just wanted to say that I've sent communication to Surtur already and he says that he will allow us to live on Midgard. So it _is_ definite now."

"Thanks for going to the trouble," Maisy said, her confidence lowering a bit, "But I've been thinking about it and I've decided that I'm not going to give up Taka af Brúðr."

The excitement on Egil's face quickly drained and he looked wounded by her words. Maisy looked down at her shoes and shrugged helplessly.

"Sorry."

"Did you tell Loki about our discussion?"

"No," she said quickly, "I never mentioned it to him. He didn't threaten me into staying or try to persuade me or anything."

"It was because of what I did to that laundress, wasn't it?"

"Partially," Maisy agreed, "And other things."

"Can't we talk about this more?" Egil took a step closer to her and gently put his hands on her shoulders, "Look at me, Maisy."

She met his eyes nervously and felt her heart crack a little. If she stayed in Asgard - which still wasn't definite since she'd actually have to win to do so - then she would not see him anymore. She would be totally cutting ties with a man who she had loved for a very long time and it was just now dawning on her. Still, she knew it was for the best and she knew she had to do it. If she won the competition and stayed in Asgard there was always a chance that Odin would allow her to go home. Egil would never let her be on her own.

"There isn't anything to talk about," she shook her head and stepped out of his hold and then started for the door, "I just wanted to let you know. Goodbye."

"Maisy, please," Egil's voice sounded so broken that Maisy _had_ to turn and look at him. He had tears in his eyes, "Please, I know I've screwed this up. I know that I've screwed this up badly, but I can change. Please."

"Egil, stop it," Maisy felt tears in her own eyes now and her vision went blurry, "Just stop."

"What does he have that I do not?" Egil demanded.

"It's not about Loki," Maisy said firmly, "It's about me. And I can't be with you."

She began walking toward the door again and she got far enough to find that she could not actually unlock it from the inside. Egil had locked her in with him and his tears.

"Unlock this door right now."

"All I ask is that you give me a chance," he was very close behind her now and she could feel his breath on her neck, "Please."

"No. Unlock the door."

"Don't make me do this to you Maisy."

"Do what?" She turned to look at him and saw that he was holding a small, glowing orange ball in his hand. Having no idea what it did, she could guess that it wasn't something she'd like. She pushed past him and began looking for alternative escape routes from the room. The only other option was the window and they were too high up.

"What is that?" She asked as Egil slowly followed her around the room with the glowing ball.

"I only need you to put it in your mouth," he said.

"What _is_ it, Egil?!"

"I used the same thing on your pink friend. It won't hurt you."

"But it will make it so that I'm under your control, won't it?" Maisy looked at the thing in horror, "Why the hell would you even consider this a legitimate response to my refusing you? Sheesh! And you wonder why I don't want to stay with you!"

"Just until the competition is over. And then you will have a free mind again. We'll go back to Midgard and find a nice house. Start a family?"

"No!" Maisy darted past him once more and over to the door, pounding on it, "Someone let me out!"

"The only people in this part of the wing are from Muspelheim," Egil said calmly, "Just give up. Give in. It is for your own good!"

"You know what?" Maisy turned back to him, finding him much closer than she'd like, "I am getting really tired of people telling me what's good for me! You, Loki, my father! The Avengers, Sif, the Warriors Three! How come everyone knows what's good for me except me? Huh?"

"Maisy-"

"I am a fully functioning adult who has been through some pretty rough crap. I think I know what is good for me! And I think I can handle the consequences of my own decisions," she poked him roughly in the chest, "So get that sparkle ball away from me and unlock this freaking door, Egil Belison."

"I will not."

"Well, then I will!" A cheerful voice called from the other side of the door and Loki burst in with a sinister smile, "You heard the woman, Egil. Back off."

"Stay out of this!" Egil hissed, his soft demeanor quickly getting covered by a shell of anger, "You've no right-"

"He's got plenty right," Maisy nodded gratefully at Loki, "I didn't want to leave on bad terms, but I'm not putting up with one more second of this. Goodbye, Egil."

She grabbed Loki's hand and pulled him from the room. When she looked at her husband he seemed almost disappointed that he didn't get to stay and punch her ex, but he didn't say anything or try and stop her. Maisy was glad of that. She was getting pretty tired of egotistical men telling her what to do.

* * *

"He did _what?!_ " Thor demanded, dropping his mug of mead and causing the drink to splash everywhere. The crown prince stood up so that he was eye to eye with his brother.

"Locked her in and threatened to possess her mind with magic," Loki repeated.

"What in Helheim?!" Thor exclaimed, "Does Father know of this?"

"Of course not," Loki scoffed.

"Well he ought to! Perhaps this would allow us to disqualify Muspelheim and end this nonsense!" Thor started for the door, but Loki jumped in his way, hands up.

"Slow down, we can't tell Odin."

"Why not?!"

"Several reasons," Loki said, "The first being there are no witnesses."

"You and Maisy."

"Do you think Odin would believe anything that I said? And Maisy's word is no more reliable seeing as she is a Midgardian who Odin already hates."

"But the only one to oppose your story is Egil. Do you think Father would believe him over his own son?"

"Even if he believed us, he would still want to know why Maisy was in Egil's room in the first place. And then we'd have to explain their history to him and he might accuse Maisy of engaging in a romantic relationship outside of wedlock. Which is breaking the rules."

"Fine, we can't tell Father," Thor huffed, "But we must do something! I will not allow Egil to get away with harassing one of the citizens of Asgard!"

"Maisy isn't a citizen."

"Perhaps not, but she is _family_ ," Thor snapped, "What did you do to Egil after rescuing Maisy?"

"Nothing. She would not allow it. We simply left," Loki rolled his eyes, "Though I would have greatly enjoyed stabbing him a few times."

"So he goes unpunished," the older prince growled and then sat down, "Loki, what do you say to tonight we sneak to Egil's room and fix that?"

"I think you've been spending too much time around me," Loki commented, brow raised, "I would not be opposed. We'll need to disguise ourselves of course."

"No problem!" Thor grabbed a towel from nearby and wrapped it around his head like a hood, "You aren't the only one who can be a master of disguise!"

"That is, possibly, the worst disguise I've ever seen in my life," Loki said, "Let me take care of that portion. I'll meet you here tonight and we'll see about giving Egil a proper punishment for threatening Maisy. Are we thinking death or just excruciating pain?"

"We can't kill him," Thor said hastily, "Though it would solve many problems."

"Alright then, what are we going to do to him?"

"You're the schemer!"

"It was your idea in the first place!"

"Yes, I came up with the idea in the first place so now it is your turn to contribute to this plan!"

"You can't just say you want to cause Egil pain and then not specify how we are to go about that! And since you've already taken murder off the menu we don't have that many options!"

"You're smart, I'm sure you'll think of something, brother."

"I already did while we were arguing."

"Then why were you arguing?!"

"Because I'm sick of always having to be the one coming up with plots and I wanted to let you know it."

"You aren't sick of plotting," Thor crossed his beefy arms.

"No, I could never be sick of plotting," Loki smirked, "So here's the plan…"

 **A note from the author: Thor and Loki up to** **shenanigans** **. Oh dear.**

 **Thank you so much for reading and favoriting and following! And special thanks to CheetahLover, Carpe Diem Vampire (welcome to the family of crazy people who like this story ;)), ferbette (it seems that every dinner in this story is uncomfortable for Maisy, but you're right that this one is pretty high on the list lol), and Kate Haswari! You're kind words are always so wonderful to hear! :D**


	66. Chapter 66

It was the dead of night. Most of the palace slept, save for those few diligent workers who were essential to keeping the palace running and two princes.

The men had no need to sneak through their home, but there was something about what they were planning to do that made the whole situation seem as though it ought to be secretive. So they snuck around every corner and tiptoed down corridors they knew there were light sleepers housed in. They had everything planned out from various escapades in their youth and they easily made it to the guest wing without causing anyone to even stir in their sleep.

Even the night guards hadn't seen them since they were so silent and their route so well timed. No one was there to stop them as the younger of the princes cast a spell over them to make them look like two common thugs with forgettable faces. Even though they were fairly certain they couldn't be punished for what they were about to do, they did not want anyone to tie it back to them.

The older brother raised his fist and pounded on the door with the authority of his station. There was a groan from inside and heavy footsteps moving toward the door. When the door opened a crack, the younger brother gave it a hard shove, opening it all the way and revealing Egil in his pajamas. The brothers smiled sinisterly at him and he paled, eyes wide.

"Hello," the older brother grinned.

"Let's go for a stroll," the younger one purred.

"I think not," Egil formed an orange ball of energy in his hand.

"Well, I guess we shouldn't have expected him to come willing," the younger sighed.

"I'm so glad he didn't!" The older raised a mighty fist and brought it down on Egil's head with such force and speed that he barely blinked before he crumpled to the ground.

No one else in the wing even heard a thing or noticed as two brothers dragged another man's unconscious form through the halls with a clear destination in mind.

 **A note from the author: I actually just wrote this short chapter a few minutes ago. It wasn't in the story originally, but I thought it would be fun to have more Loki and Thor "bonding time". ;) I hope you enjoyed this little fun snippet and I promise I will post a longer chapter this afternoon.**

 **Thank you to the marvelous reviewers: ferbette, CheetahLover, Eliza (worry not over absence in the comments, I'm just glad that you are enjoying the story!), and darkangelynn5! All of your words always make me giddy with excitement!**

 **Until later!**


	67. Chapter 67

The next morning, Maisy was rushing through the halls of the palace, trying to remember how to get to the armory for the next event. Loki had given her instructions earlier, but he wasn't supposed to walk with her and she couldn't quite remember the way.

She was constantly astounded by the size of the palace. For instance, she was currently running across a long walkway that stretched over a several hundred foot drop. She could see other walkways crisscrossing beneath hers and someone had told her that at the bottom there was an entrance to the dungeons. This area of the palace in particular made Maisy feel that the whole place was false. It felt as if the drop was fabricated with CGI and green screen, like it shouldn't be something someone's house would actually have in it.

As she passed over the walkway she heard someone calling for help. She stopped dead in her tracks and looked over the railing. There was a long banner that hung almost down to the next level. However, today it was a bit shorter due to the fact that it was cocooning a person.

"Oh my gosh! Are you alright?" Maisy called. She took up the top part of the banner and braced herself against the railing. As she started to pull as hard as she could she heard relieved laughter.

"I thought no one would ever find me here, if I'm being honest," the person from below called and Maisy recognized the voice.

"Egil?" She asked.

"Maisy? Is that you?"

She let the banner drop again and sprinted away in the direction she'd been going before. Even hearing Egil cry out in surprise when he fell a bit, she didn't turn back. She wasn't even all that curious as to how he got in such a position. She had things to do.

When she arrived in the armory, she walked past Thor and Loki to get to the line the other girls were standing in. It seemed that Thor had only arrived only a moment previous as he gave Loki a fist bump when he showed up. Seeing the brothers being so chummy with each other made Maisy instantly suspicious.

She ignored it and took her spot between Blaze and Aoiba. The princess nodded at her and Maisy smiled back. Then they both snapped to attention as Odin entered the room.

"I hope you all had a pleasant weekend," the king said boredly, "Today's competition is a test of intelligence and speed."

"Sucks for Maisy," Blaze said under her breath and covered it up with a cough.

"You will be assembling a canon," Odin smiled a little, "This will also test how well you work with others so you each may choose a partner. Whichever team finishes first wins and the team members will face each other in a special event this evening. There will be no points awarded to runners up."

Maisy was thanking her lucky stars that she'd have a team member or else she'd have no chance at this event. She just hoped one of the other girls would actually be willing to team up with her.

"There are three stations set up, as you can see," Odin gestured to three tables covered in mechanical parts, "Simply run to whichever table you like and whoever runs to the same table will be your partner. Go."

He said it in such a monotone voice that it took everyone a moment to react. Except Tzefira and Melantha, who rushed to separate tables immediately. Maisy and Die-An made eye contact and nodded, but as they made their way to their table Maisy felt someone grab her arm and pull her to a different table. Aoiba got Tzefira, Die-An got Melantha, and Maisy was stuck with a sneering Blaze.

"Let's get to work, eh?" Blaze grabbed two pieces of canon and began clasping them together, "C'mon, pick up some stuff and start jamming it together."

"Okay," Maisy decided she still wanted to win, even if that would also mean Blaze would win, "Um, these look like they go together."

"They do. Good job," Blaze rammed seemingly random pieces together and they were working extremely well Maisy tried to do the same and it wasn't going quite as well, but every once in a while she got some things to stick.

"So," Blaze said, fifteen minutes in, "Where is he?"

"Who?" Maisy replied, using a screwdriver like tool to attach some sort of crystal to a metal base.

"Egil, who else? You were the last person seen with him and now I can't find him anywhere. He isn't in his room and he didn't show up to this event. What did you do with him?"

"I didn't touch him," Maisy sniffed, not sure she wanted to tell Blaze about where she'd seen him earlier, "I yelled at him yesterday and left him alone."

"You've seen him since," Blaze commented putting together two pieces so roughly that one of them broke, "Dammit."

Fixing the piece she broke, she sent a quick glare at Maisy.

"Alright, I have," Maisy admitted, not wanting to sacrifice the whole event, "He's hanging from some flag in the palace. On that walkway, you know?"

"How in Helheim did you get him there?!"

"I didn't! I swear! I was just walking by and spotted him!"

"Sure," Blaze scoffed, "Is he still there?"

"Well _I_ didn't help him out of that situation."

"Then we'd better hurry this competition up," Blaze began working faster than before, "So I can go get that idiot down."

"You really seem to know your way around an Asgardian canon," Maisy commented, "Have you done this before?"

"One laser canon is like another," Blaze shrugged, "Hand me that piece."

They finished quickly now that Blaze was really motivated to and they ended up being the first ones done. When they called that they were finished Maisy was surprised to hear a loud curse erupt from Aoiba's mouth. All eyes turned to the princess and she threw down the laser crystal. It shattered on the floor and many eyebrows went up. No one had ever seen her act less than perfect.

"Sorry," she ground out, fists clenched.

"It would appear our winners are Maisy Sichore of Midgard and Blaze of Muspelheim," Odin plowed onward, "Let us test their canon."

Thor picked up the canon and aimed it out a window at a statue not far off. When he fired the laser beam was a bit crooked, but that only meant that it hit the statue with more force when it arched down again. It was probably more efficient that way and Maisy wondered if that was how it was supposed to work or if Blaze had modified it.

"Excellent," Odin clapped along with everyone else, "Tonight they will race each other on horseback across the Rainbow Bridge, the winner of that shall be awarded a gift."

Maisy's eyes widened in horror at this. She'd never ridden a horse in her life. Blaze nodded confidently and when Odin finally dismissed them the warrior all but ran from the room to find Egil. Die-An congratulated Maisy, Tzefira shook her hand, Aoiba ignored everyone, and Melantha gave a respectful nod as she left.

"Maisy, Maisy, Maisy!" Tony Stark threw his arms wide as if he was going to hug her, but when she opened her arms as well he dropped his, leaving her standing awkwardly.

"Mr. Stark," she smiled.

"You killed it, kid! You got first in an event! Congrats!"

"Well, Blaze did most of the work, but thanks."

"You and I need to sit down and discuss what the inside of the canon looked like, alright?"

"Stark, if you want to examine a canon, you need only ask," Thor chuckled, coming over and setting down the canon he'd just fired, "You can look at this one here if you'd like."

"Really?" Tony jumped on the canon and started disassembling it.

"It is a far out of date version, obviously, but I think you should enjoy it."

"Out of date?" Tony stared at Thor, "How can _this_ be out of date?!"

"It is such an old design I'm surprised we had any parts for them left," Thor shrugged, "But it wasn't as if we could allow possible spies to work with our latest gear."

"But I'm not a spy!" Tony smiled sauvely, "You could show me the latest tech, right?"

"Perhaps another time," Thor gave a knowing look to Maisy that told her Tony was never getting his hands on the real deal.

"Any idea why Blaze practically carried you over to be her partner?" Loki asked, joining the group with arms crossed. He looked like he wanted to put his arm around Maisy, but he had been taking her request not to touch her to heart. She appreciated it, but some small part of her wished he'd do it anyway.

"She wanted to ask me where Egil was," Maisy gestured to the two princes, "I don't suppose either of you gentlemen happens to know how he came to be hanging off a walkway?"

"Is he? How terrible," Loki smiled.

"My goodness," Thor smiled too, "I wonder how that could have happened!"

"I suppose it shall always be a mystery," Loki shrugged.

"I suppose so!" Thor winked and Maisy rolled her eyes.

"Who is Egil?" Tony asked.

"No one!" The other three chirped in unison.

"Right… well maybe I'll ask Romanoff to find out. There is no secret that's safe from her you know."

"Alright, he's, uh, my ex. He also happens to part of the Muspelheim entourage."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Tony sputtered, "You've dated aliens before?"

"I didn't know he was an alien!" Maisy protested, "It's not like I go looking for them!"

"How long was he on earth?!"

"Little more than two years? We were in New York…"

"Right under our noses! How did I not notice?"

"Stark, there are a great many things you do not notice," Loki commented, "I'm sure Thor isn't the first Asgardian to be banished to Midgard. There are probably quite a few wandering about."

"So you're old man basically uses our planet as a dumping ground for his problems?!"

"Not for many years!" Thor assured, "And the only reason he sent me was because he knew I wouldn't hurt anyone!"

"Thor, buddy, I've read your file. You attacked most of the staff at the hospital they put you in!" Tony protested.

"In my defense," Thor looked sheepish, "They were trying to inject me with foreign medicine. It could have been poison for all I knew!"

Thor and Tony continued to argue a bit and though Maisy watched them in amusement, she also felt that she should probably get to work before the race. She turned to Loki and pulled him away from Tony and Thor.

"So, um, I haven't ever ridden a horse. I've never even touched one."

"I'd say that's problematic, but I happen to be one of the best riders in the kingdom," Loki boasted, "Let's go to the stable."

 **A note from the author: Ta-da! I hope you enjoyed Egil's** **embarrassment** **! I like to picture Thor and Loki tying him up in the flag and Thor saying something along the lines of "I hope this holds his weight and it doesn't snap and drop him all the way down" and Loki would say "I hope it breaks". And then they'd toss him over the edge, wrapped in the flag, and he might bounce a little like on a bungee cord and Loki would hope it was going to break and Thor would wonder what he got himself into. And ultimately, they'd both be a little disappointed that Egil didn't die. In any case... I hope you had as much fun reading this chapter as I had writing it!**

 **Thank you to CheetahLover and ferbette for reviewing the short little chapter 66! :D You guys are the best!**


	68. Chapter 68

He was disguised as Steve Rogers because he didn't think it too far fetched for the captain to be teaching Maisy how to ride a horse. Stark was meant to inform Rogers that Loki was wearing his face so that Rogers would know to stay out of sight. That way if Odin or one of Odin's spies spotted them it wouldn't look like they were breaking rules.

Maisy was sitting atop Loki's horse and pale with fright. She was clinging so tightly to the reins that one would think she was being bucked about, even though the horse was the most gentle war horse to ever live in the stables of Asgard. Except during a battle, thankfully.

"Relax, he's not going to throw you," Loki grabbed the reins and loosened Maisy's grip on them, "He likes you."

"How can you tell?"

"He hasn't thrown you."

"Ha," Maisy took the reins more lightly, but she was still incredibly tense, "Does he have a name?"

"Ah. You see, I named him when I was a boy-"

"He must be an old horse!"

"Idunn gives him 'snacks' now and then," Loki commented, "That's also why he's getting so fat."

The horse snorted indignantly.

"So his name?"

"As I was a child when I christened him, it is not the _best_ name for such a magnificent creature… I called him Horsley."

"Horsley the horse?" Maisy smiled and relaxed a little. She patted Horsley's neck comfortingly, "I think it's cute."

"You would," Loki laughed and started to lead her out to the yard. She yelped in surprise and clung to the reins again, "Relax, Maisy, relax."

"Sorry! We're just going so fast!"

"You do realize you are meant to race Blaze tonight? Do you know what the word 'race' means?"

"Sorry, sorry!"

"You'll be fine. It is much harder to fall off a horse than you think!"

"Really?"

"Would I lie to you?"

"Absolutely you would," Maisy muttered as Loki led her and Horsley out into the large riding area. He took her on one slow lap around the perimeter to get her used to the feeling of a horse moving and she found that it was actually fun.

"This isn't so bad, is it Horsley?"

The horse nodded his head in what seemed like agreement and Maisy laughed.

"Having fun?" Loki asked, bringing them to a stop.

"Yeah!"

"Excellent. Now take a lap by yourself."

"No, no, nooo! I don't think so!"

"You'll have to do it on the Bridge. We don't have much time until then so it's best we move you out of your comfort zone quickly."

"Okay, fine," Maisy leaned forward slightly, "How do I get him to go?"

"Squeeze your legs together a little and lean forward as you do so," Loki then showed her how to turn and then sent her on her way. She did well with the first lap, only stopping twice because Horsley was distracted. She urged him forward, however and made it all the way around. There was confident smile on her face when she walked the horse back up to him.

"How'd I do?"

"Well! Now do it again, faster."

Maisy looked terrified by this idea, but she only nodded and asked how to make the horse go faster. Loki showed her and she took the lap at a trot. Her face looked frightened almost the whole way around, but she looked like she was enjoying herself by the end of it. She took a few more laps at this speed and they continued to pick up the speed until she could get Horsley to run around the area, even if it was a slow run.

They practiced for an hour and a half before Linn found them. She stood next to Loki for a bit before sighing loudly. Loki jumped, as he had not seen her approach.

"Look at you!" Linn grinned, "Watching her like she's your stars and moon!"

"That was poetic," Loki commented, tearing his gaze from Maisy.

"I've been sneakin' and borrowin' poem books from the library," Linn admitted, "Cause the words are so pretty!"

"For your information, I was not watching her like she was my 'stars and moon', I was watching to make sure she doesn't fall off. We don't need her splitting her skull, now do we?"

"Whatever you say," Linn gave a forceful wink that hurt to look at, "I fink it's because you like her."

"Of course I like her," Loki scoffed, crossing his arms and watching Maisy again, "She's my friend, isn't she?"

"No! You _like_ like her, you know?"

"What in the nine realms are you blathering about?"

"Oh! Oh! You's blushing! You's blushing!"

"I am not!" Loki snapped right as Maisy pulled up next to them.

"You aren't what?"

"Nothing."

"He thinks your _gorgeous_ ," Linn sang, "He wants to _kiss_ you, he wants to _hug_ you, he wants to _smooch_ you-"

"Have you watched _Miss Congeniality_?" Maisy asked, laughing as Linn giggled out the ditty.

"Me mum's favorite film!"

"What is going on?" Loki grouched, annoyed at being left out on some sort of joke.

"She's just quoting a movie," Maisy smiled, "Hey, I'm getting hungry. Should we grab something from the kitchen since we missed lunch?"

Glad to change the subject, Loki nodded and showed Maisy how to dismount Horsley. Once she was down on the ground and wobbled a little bit and walked bowlegged. Linn burst out laughing again and Maisy blushed.

"Perhaps we should have taken a break earlier," Loki patted Horsley and started to take him into the stable to tend to him. Maisy caught up and scratched Horsley's chin with a smile.

"Thanks for letting me ride him," she said, "He's a real sweetheart! Aren't you, Horsley, yes you are! Oh yes you are!"

"Stop baby talking my war horse."

"I will when he stops being such a sweetie!" Maisy patted the horse's neck and Horsley whinnied happily. He picked up some of her green hair in his lips and appeared to kiss her cheek. Maisy laughed happily and gave him a kiss on the nose.

"Horsley is stealing your girl," Linn whispered loudly and Loki rolled his eyes.

They put Horsley back in his stall and then Loki offered an arm to each of his companions and they all set out for the kitchen. As they laughed and chatted their way through the halls, Loki noticed that people were staring at them. He wondered if it was because he was walking with a laundress of if it was because he was showing such blatant favoritism toward Maisy. Then it dawned on him that he was still wearing Captain America's face.

"Linn, how did you know it was me?" Loki asked, "I am disguised as Rogers."

"Oh," Linn shrugged, "I just figured you'd be the only one gawking at Maisy like that. And you was standing so Loki-like. The Captain doesn't stand that sassy."

"Sassy?"

"Yeah, your hip kinda goes off to the side and you look like you fink your better than everyone," Linn let go of his arm and demonstrated in an exaggerated manner.

"You look just like him!" Maisy exclaimed.

"I do not stand like that!"

"Do too!" Both girls chirped and they burst out laughing again.

Loki figured that the more he protested about the way he was supposedly standing the less they'd think about the other way Linn had identified him. There was a difference between watching to make sure someone didn't fall and straight out gawking. Of course, Linn was probably not the best person to ask since she'd seen romance anywhere, but it made Loki wonder if he'd really been that obvious. He hoped Maisy hadn't noticed.

He let them laugh at him until the subject changed and they continued on to the kitchen. Now that Egil wasn't much competition for Maisy's affection, Loki assumed he'd be able to slip back into not caring overmuch about Maisy beyond their friendship. However, if the pang in his heart was any indication he'd have to be a lot more careful not to "gawk".

* * *

She rode out to the bridge of Horsley's back, with the Avengers and Jane leading the way. Bruce was leading Horsley gently through the crowds of people who all wanted to see what the fuss was about. It took quite a while to get to the bridge and when they were there Maisy felt a bit sick.

The entourages from every competitor were there, which she was expecting, but the scary thing was they were all cheering for her. She supposed it was because they really didn't like Muspelheim or because they'd rather have the weak one win since she wasn't likely to win anything else. Everyone was screaming loudly as she rode onto the bridge and she took to nervously playing with Horsley's mane to calm herself down. It was funny how she went from being scared to death of the creature to finding his presence comforting in only a few hours.

When Maisy was lined up at a makeshift start line Blaze and her horse came through the gates. She had her arm raised and was rallying those from Muspelheim. They were howling with delight and Maisy winced when she saw the only one not shouting was Egil. He was glaring at her and crossing his arms. She looked away from him and back to Blaze as the other girl lined up her stallion.

"That's a beautiful horse," Maisy commented, looking at the black steed. His eyes shown orange and he had ribbons of the same color woven through his inky mane.

"His name is Firestorm," Blaze patted his neck and he huffed fiercely, "He's killed almost as many people as I have."

"Cool?"

"I see the princey boy has leant you his horse," Blaze pointed at the crest on Horsley's harness. The golden symbol was of two serpents entwined together in an almost figure-eight shape, "That's his symbol."

"Is it? That's neat," Maisy looked over to where Odin and his sons stood. Loki was watching her anxiously, but when he saw she was looking at him he gave her two thumbs up. Thor waved enthusiastically.

"Just so you know, Tony is in his suit and ready to go if you fall off the bridge," Bruce said as he tested various straps and saddle fastenings, "So don't panic or anything."

"Crap, I hadn't even considered falling off the bridge!" Maisy felt a new fear filling her.

"Since this horse has ridden this course before it shouldn't be an issue, but just in case. You're safe. Okay?"

"Okay. Thanks."

"Good luck!"

Maisy nodded and stared across the Bridge. It was longer than it looked from her window at the palace and the colors were more brilliant up close. She couldn't believe she hadn't been to see it in all of her time in Asgard. It was gorgeous. And frightening at the same time.

"You ever raced horses before?" Blaze asked as the crowd was falling quiet.

"Course I have," Maisy said, her gut clenching as Odin raised his staff, "Lots of times."

"You really are a terrible liar," Blaze laughed and Odin slammed his spear down on the bridge. The red haired girl kicked her horse into action and after a moment of hesitation Maisy did the same. Their audience gave a deafening cheer.

It was a good thing Horsley had done this before, even if Maisy hadn't. He seemed to know what she wanted even though she was almost too scared to urge him faster. The speed at which he ran was astounding and all the tiny Midgardian could do was hold on for dear life. They caught up to Blaze easily and it was neck and neck for most of the race.

"Hope you know how to swim, Sichore!" Blaze exclaimed, angling her horse toward Maisy. She reached out to shove her from her saddle, but Maisy slowed Horsley down just enough that Blaze missed and nearly fell out of her own saddle. She cursed as she was hanging sideway and Maisy urged Horsley to pick up the pace. He did so and they gained enough ground that Blaze could not catch up easily.

So she threw a fireball at Maisy instead.

"Gah!" Maisy yelped as a burning ball landed a few feet in front of her. Had Horsley not had experience in battle he probably would have bucked Maisy off, but instead he just snorted and dashed through the small flame. Blaze screamed in frustration and threw a few more, missing each time until right at the end.

Maisy was so close to the golden dome shaped building and the quiet man standing there that she started laughing, assuming she was going to make it and win. That idea was dashed, however, when Blaze threw one giant fireball and it hit Horsley's tail. He bucked then and threw Maisy to the ground. Blaze shot forward and crossed the finish line. Maisy was in much pain, but she knew she had to get the fire out so she grunted and clambored to her feet.

Trying to get Horsley to stop bucking, she grabbed his reins, but he continued to panic. The man who'd been standing at the finish line took a bucket of water and tossed it on Horsley's tail, putting out the fire. He then grabbed the reins and quieted the terrified horse using soothing words and calming motions.

"Oh my gosh," Maisy panted, hands on knees, "Thank you, sir!"

"Maisy Sichore," the man led the horse back over to her, "You did well for today being your first attempt at riding horse."

"Thanks," Maisy cautiously patted Horsley's nose, "That was probably one of the scariest things I've ever done in my life."

"I _knew_ you hadn't ridden before," Blaze laughed, circling back on her horse, "That was a sorry excuse for horsemanship!"

"Gala Tyrdottir!" The man boomed, "You will pay for your cheating. I will ensure it."

"Gala?" Maisy asked in confusion.

"Shut up, Gatekeeper," Blaze snarled, her mocking demeanor changing quickly, "Unless you'd like to play with fire yourself."

"You cannot harm me," the man stated, "Or else Odin would cast you from this realm. Again."

"Again?" Maisy's eyes were wide.

"Sichore, I don't care if Egil wants you, mention this to anyone and I'll slit your throat!"

"I'm not saying anything! I don't even know what's going on!"

"Good," Blaze kicked her horse and started the ride back across the bridge, presumably to collect her prize. When she left the man turned back to Maisy.

"We have not met yet, I am Heimdall."

"Hi, Heimdall, I'm Maisy," she offered her hand and he shook it.

"I know."

"Okay then…"

"Let us go back to tell Odin what has happened," Heimdall led her and Horsley back across the bridge until they were at the crowd. Muspelheim was uproarious as they congratulated Blaze and everyone else was clapping politely. The Avengers rushed up to Maisy and immediately asked what happened.

"Let her tell Odin first," Heimdall said, "Come, we will go to him now."

"He's busy with Blaze though," Maisy pointed to where Odin and Blaze were standing on a platform. He was shaking her hand and giving her a prize. The prize appeared to be eight golden rings and Blaze grinned when she had them.

"Congratulations, Blaze and Muspelheim on your victory," Odin said.

"Thanks," Blaze smiled.

"I would stay those congratulatory words," Heimdall's voice rang out above everyone else. Maisy felt like dissolving when all eyes turned on her.

"Heimdall, was Blaze not the first to cross the line?" Odin asked solemnly.

"She was. But listen to what Maisy Sichore has to say."

"Um," Maisy cleared her throat and looked to Loki and Thor, who stood by their father. The princes were looking back curiously and Loki looked incredibly hopeful, "Blaze did beat me, but she cheated to do so."

"How?"

"She first tried to push me off the Bridge," Maisy's voice was quiet and she wished she could make it louder, but having Odin glare at her was not helping her confidence, "Then she threw fireballs at me and caused my horse to catch on fire. The horse threw me off and that's how Blaze passed me."

"Heimdall?" Odin turned his glare to the Gatekeeper.

"She speaks truly."

"Then… I suppose Maisy is our true victor," Odin said grudgingly, "Blaze, hand over your prize."

"You never said anything about pushing and throwing fireballs!" Blaze protested, "The only rule you gave us was to make it to the finish line."

"That's true," Maisy commented.

"But her methods of victory were dishonorable," Odin sounded annoyed by this, as if he'd been hoping Blaze would win even if she was from the realm of his enemy.

"Maybe we could split the victory?" Maisy suggested.

"Blaze, how does that fair with you?"

"I would rather have no victory than a shared one!" Blaze scoffed, roughly grabbing Maisy's hand and putting the gold rings in it, "Keep your points and rings."

The crowd cheered and Maisy was led up onto the platform. Odin reluctantly shook her hand and then Thor and Loki in turn. Loki winked and held her hand for a little longer than necessary, not that Maisy minded in the least. For teaching her to ride she could have hugged him right then and there. Odin probably wouldn't have liked that, however.

"Eight rings of Draupnir," Loki said, gesturing to her prize, "Any idea what you'll do with them?"

"Not a clue."

"Well, it isn't as if they are going anywhere. You have plenty of time to decide."

"Are they magical?"

"Draupnir is," Loki explained, watching as some of the crowd dispersed, "It is a ring given to Odin by dwarfs. Every ninth night eight identical rings drop from it, minus the multiplying powers. Odin likes to use them as prizes for any ceremonial competitions he has to host."

"Cool," Maisy admired the rings, already thinking of a design for an outfit that would match the intricate engravings on the rings. She might not like Odin, but she had to admit that he had some pretty nifty stuff. She glanced at Loki, who was smiling cheekily at her. Odin had some pretty nifty sons too. Not that she'd ever say that out loud.

 **A note from the author: I don't really know why I threw in the bit about Draupnir. It doesn't really flow all that well, but I wasn't sure how to end this chapter and I felt that I needed to explain why Odin was giving Maisy eight rings for winning. Oh well. Hopefully you enjoyed a bit of Norse mythology! ;)**

 **Thank you for reading and favoriting and following and especially for reviewing: nina del carmen, ferbette (I had so much fun with the fist bump lol), CheetahLover, and Eliza! I'm so glad you all enjoyed Egil's misfortune! He certainly had it coming.**


	69. Chapter 69

"This party _really_ should come to an end soon," Maisy laughed as Tony started playing _We Are Young_ over his suit's speakers and dancing. He swayed his way over to her and started spinning her around, causing her to laugh more.

"What? Is it past your bedtime?"

"I've got more events tomorrow!"

"Yeah, but it's stupid events!" Tony dipped her and then moved on to try and get Natasha to dance with him, "What was it again?"

"Pottery," Maisy reminded, "Because Odin thinks it's a useful skill for some reason."

"Pottery is useful!" Thor declared starting to dance to the music. Seeing the Asgardian start to boogie was too much and Maisy couldn't control her laughter.

They were celebrating her win by throwing a party in a private dining room. There was food and music provided by Tony. All of the Midgardians had been invited, meaning Maisy had bumped into and chatted with the President of the USA and the Prime Minister of Britain. Her dad had come, but he had to sit off to the side with Linn's friend, Bjorn, watching him so he didn't attack Loki.

The Warriors Three and Sif had come along with some of the women from the laundry room, and Linn of course. Linn's friend Ola had come as well and was spending her time staring at Captain America. The Avengers were getting along - somewhat - with Loki and everyone seemed to be having fun. Maisy was glad of the distraction from thinking about Egil and Odin and everyone and everything else that was bothering her. She'd never been much of a party animal, preferring to stay in, but this was the best party she'd ever been to. Maybe it was because Iron Man had been in charge of it.

As the song came to a close Clint jumped to attention with a suggestion for the next one. _TiK ToK_ started playing and Hawkeye sent up a cheer. Natasha had refused to dance with Tony, but she was having fun talking to Sif and Linn had started spinning around with Iron Man. The sight made Maisy smile more and if she'd been confident in her dance abilities (at least, confident enough to dance in front of the president) she would have loved to join in.

"Midgardian music," Loki said, sliding next to her, "Seems specifically designed to dance horribly to."

"That's about right," Maisy laughed, "You should have seen my senior prom."

"Do you dance?"

"Not in front of this many people I don't. But don't let that stop you from getting your groove thang on."

"What?"

"You should dance!"

"I wouldn't want to make everyone feel bad about their inferior skills," Loki smirked, "How are you feeling?"

"Tired, why do you ask?"

"Just checking in," his smirk turned into a gentle smile, "You did get thrown from a flaming horse today."

"I'm good," Maisy confirmed, "How's Horsley?"

"He is embarrassed about his shortened tail, but otherwise well."

"Good, I felt so bad that I was the reason he caught on fire!"

"He's been in many battles, so I can safely say that he's seen worse."

They stood there, tapping their toes in silence for a while. Then the song ended and Tony quickly put on another. Linn clapped as the opening notes played and sent Loki and Maisy a mischievous grin. Maisy was wondering why until she realized what the song was saying.

" _Can anybody find me somebody to love?_ " Then the music picked up and Maisy groaned.

"Oh no."

"What?"

"This is one of my favorite songs in the world!"

"And the problem with that?"

"I _have_ to dance to it," she looked up at him.

"Unfortunate for you."

"Don't give me that," Maisy lightly hit his arm, "You're dancing to it with me."

"Am I?"

"Yep, here we go," she pulled him out onto the dance floor where others were already swaying to the iconic song. Thor and Jane were a little too close for everyone's comfort. Steve had been a gentleman and asked Ola to dance. Linn was still going with Tony, and Natasha and Bruce (of all people) had paired up. Clint was dancing stag and Fandral kept trying to get Sif to dance with him.

It was a much quieter song than before, but no one seemed to care, they swayed all the same.

"You realize," Loki said as he listened to the words, mulling over the romantic meaning, "That we are just doing what Linn wants? Ugh, look at her smug little face."

"Yeah, I know," Maisy blushed, and looked over at her younger friend, who winked at them, "We're probably going to be teased about it forever."

"And don't look now, but I think your father is about to have a heart attack."

"Crap," she glanced that way and saw that her father's face was as red as Thor's cape, "Well he'll just have to deal. It's not _that_ long of a song."

However, the moment that song was over Linn whispered another in Tony's ear and Maisy groaned again as _I've Just Seen a Face_ by The Beatles started playing. Loki laughed and agreed to dance with her again. This time, as the tempo was faster he had a bit more fun swinging her around the room. They twirled and laughed and Maisy tried to block out the stares they were getting and the feeling in her stomach that she really shouldn't be dancing with Loki. Because there was a bigger part of her that told her to keep dancing and keep having fun.

"You _are_ a really good dancer!"

"You are not as bad as I thought you'd be," Loki said, "Norns, Linn looks like a dragon in a pile of gold."

The laundress waved joyfully at them as she spun around the room. Maisy waved back and the girl burst into laughter.

When the song finally ended everyone cheered and the party started to wind down. As people went back to their rooms and cleaned up, Maisy noticed that she was still holding Loki's hand. They made it all the way back to their room without separating and neither cared all that much.

"Thank you for dancing with me," Maisy smiled when they let go of each other to step into the room, "That was fun."

"You are most welcome," Loki gave a slight bow, "I wish you'd been able to make it to the ball so I could have shown you some Asgardian dances."

"I'm sure there will be another ball," Maisy stepped into the room and grabbed her nightgown from where she'd tossed it that morning. As she picked it up she wondered at what point she had become comfortable tossing her pajamas around the room she shared with Loki. At the beginning of this she would have been too embarrassed.

"Perhaps when you win and Odin makes us have a huge wedding ceremony we can have a ball after," Loki commented, "It will be a grand time."

"How long do you think Taka af Brúðr will last?" Maisy asked.

"I've been told after the base events these first two weeks I am allowed to determine the length," he sat down on the couch and sprawled out, arms behind his head, "Why?"

"I was just wondering," she shrugged, "It seems like we have all of these big things going on, I'm just wondering how long until we can relax a little. Cause we'll have this and then I guess the 'wedding' right after."

"Though I'm sure the plans for the wedding are already underway - seeing as it will be one of the biggest happy events Asgard has seen in a while - it will probably take them a while to figure it all out. We'll have a good month between the end of Taka af Brúðr and the wedding."

"People are already planning it?" Maisy shook out her nightgown and had been headed for the bathroom, but stopped at this.

"I'm sure Odin has been preparing for it since I was a child," Loki rolled his eyes, "The big event they plan for Thor is his coronation, and the wedding doesn't matter so much. For the second son it's the wedding. All I'm good for is strengthening ties with other realms. So they've been at it for a while."

"And we don't get a say in it?"

"Once they figure out what realm the bride is from they try to incorporate some of her traditions into the ceremony as well, but other than that we don't have much choice in any of it."

"Wow."

"Sorry," he sat up a little, "I know women usually have all sorts of plans for the day they are wed."

"It's fine!" Maisy shook her head and tried to laugh it off, "I mean, it's not even a hundred percent sure that I'm going to be the bride, right?"

"You've been doing well lately, it is more likely than you think."

"Well I hope so," she sat down next to him.

"Are you saying you hope you get a chance to marry me?" Loki smirked.

"I already did, didn't I?"

"True, but this wedding will involve," he was suddenly very close, "A kiss."

Maisy froze, not sure how to react. His eyes were searching hers, questioning if he was allowed to kiss her or not. She swallowed and shook her head slightly. He frowned but backed off. She quickly gathered her nightgown in her hands again and rushed to the bathroom, heart racing. When she was done dressing she buried herself in her blankets.

"Good night!"

"Good night, Maisy. Sleep well," his voice sounded tired and irritated.

"You too."

Now she just had her thoughts of kissing to wrestle with all night long. She should have changed the subject or said something funny in reply. Leaving it hanging like that was the worst idea ever. Now they'd both be thinking about it all night long and that would be problematic.

Crap.

 **A note from the author: I am so bad at writing bits with songs and I apologize. Some authors have a magnificent way of weaving songs into their fics so that if you decide to play it in the background to listen to it actually fits the scene really well. I.E. the timing works really well and by the time the song ends you've reached a part of the story that fits appropriately. I do not have the skills to write that well, unfortunately, but I hope that you enjoyed it anyway! My personal favorite version of "I've Just Seen a Face" is the one from the movie** ** _Across the Universe_** **(fantastic movie, love it almost as much as I love the MCU, but it is very odd).**

 **Once again I want to thank everyone for favoriting, following, and reading! And, as always, a shout out thank you to those who reviewed, ferbette and Eliza! :)**


	70. Chapter 70

Though she did fairly well the first week of Taka af Brúðr, Maisy quickly fell behind in the second week. If any Asgardian were to bet on the winner (and there were multitudes of Asgardians and other races betting) they would have put their money on Die-An or Blaze. Tzefira was expected to come in third simply because she had the drive to do so, and most people thought Melantha would be fourth. It was a toss up for last between Maisy and Aoiba.

The reason Maisy fell so far behind was speculated to be that most of the events were combat oriented. And though she fought with valor and honor, she was never skilled enough to beat those who'd been training their whole lives. When there was a more traditionally feminine task Maisy would do well and the others, bar Aoiba, would fail. However, Odin liked to make a spectacle and such tasks were not things that could be watched in the arena, which meant lots of fighting and little else.

Right outside the arena there was a big scoreboard and many of the gamblers would crowd around it at the end of any given day to see who was in the lead. Maisy tried not to look at the scoreboard if she could help it.

After one particularly brutal contest of strength, Maisy was hobbling on a sprained ankle (courtesy of an apologetic Die-An) past the sign. Linn was supporting her and the Avengers were all chatting around her, telling her she would do better the next day. She stopped and glanced at the board, purely out of curiosity and had to bring everyone else to a halt as well.

"When did _that_ happen?" She asked, pointing at the board.

"What?"

"Aoiba is leaps and bounds ahead of me!"

Everyone turned to look at the board and read:

 _ **Blaze of Muspelheim - 1050 points**_

 _ **Capt. Die-An of the Kree - 1000 points**_

 _ **Tzefira Softbreeze of Alfheim - 975 points**_

 _ **Queen Melantha of Svartalfheim - 850 points**_

 _ **Princess Aoiba of Krylor - 600 points**_

 _ **Maisy Sichore of Midgard - 425 points**_

"It's only a hundred and seventy-five points, kid," Tony said, though there was a hint of worry to his voice, "You'll catch her. You'll catch 'em all."

"It was just because Aoiba accidentally tripped Die-An yesterday and beat her. Lucky break," Clint said.

"We'll practice with your staff some more tonight and you'll be ready for tomorrow. You'll kick ass," Natasha stated.

"No I won't," Maisy said quietly, "You know I won't. Odin will put me against Tzefira or Die-An and they'll wipe the floor with me."

"Hey," Steve put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "You can't give up, okay? When you start thinking that way you've already lost. You can do this."

"Alright, let's say I win tomorrow," Maisy shrugged his hand off, "Let's say I pass Aoiba. I've _still_ got to pass Melantha _and_ Tzefira to get into the top three. And the base events end on Tuesday!"

"Hey, it's Sunday! You've still got plenty of time!" Jane comforted, "And Loki can choose to keep the competition going. You never know what another week could bring!"

"Yeah, sure."

"Maisy, you alright?" Linn asked quietly, staring at her friend in concern.

"I'm just tired. Will you help me get back home?"

"Course I will," Linn smiled, trying to cheer her up, and the two of them started back for the palace. The Avengers and Jane stayed behind and stared at the scoreboard.

"How are we going to do this?" Tony asked.

"Do we really want her to win?" Clint countered, "If she wins she has to stay with Loki."

"But if she loses she has to go to Muspel-whatever. And from what Thor's been saying, that's the evillier of two evils."

"You ever think we'll get her to the top three?" Clint asked.

"We have to," Steve declared, "We know for a fact that she's better off in Asgard - even with Loki - because here Thor can keep an eye on her. And there is hope of her going home."

"More training," Natasha snapped, "She needs more training in amounts that we can't give her. We'll never be able to get her on level with someone like Blaze. So what else can we do?"

"Convince Odin to stop doing combat trials?" Bruce suggested, "She's a smart kid, if we could get another event like the potions one going then she might stand a better chance."

"Odin won't listen to us though. And he won't listen to Thor since he's biased," Steve had his thinking face on, "So who could convince him to do what we want?"

"I think that's a question for Point Break," Tony smirked, "I'm sure he knows of some skeleton in Odin's closet or person from his past."

"Then let's go talk to Thor!"

"Where is he?"

"He and Loki had to go to some council meeting," Jane said, "Apparently Drin's father is causing trouble with the court again."

"Drin's the guy Maisy stabbed, right?"

"Right. And his father is a big wig and Odin's old friend. Odin's trying everything to appease him but the only thing that's going to satisfy him is Maisy's death or total public humiliation."

"Hmm, that gives me an idea," Tony grinned, "We won't be needing Thor's help after all. We just need to find out where Drin's dad will be in twenty minutes."

* * *

She was determined not to cry. Not in front of Linn. Not in the halls of the palace. Not in front of Loki if he happened to be home (not that it was likely as Odin had been insisting he spend time with the other competitors more and more lately). No tears. At least, not until she'd either locked herself in the bathroom or buried herself under her blankets.

It wasn't like there was anything to cry about anyway. Crying would make her feel like a sore loser. She couldn't cry because she was in dead last. What a stupid thing to get upset over! Except, the reality of coming in last was starting to dawn on her.

If she was to get last place then she would be kicked out of Asgard. No more time spent with Sif or Linn or Thor or the Warriors Three. No more living in the palace that she'd come to think of as home in the past three and a half months. No more learning about incredible magical things or being continuously in awe of the beauty around her.

No more Loki.

And on top of leaving the Realm Eternal, she'd be forced to go with Egil wherever he'd decided to take her. She doubted that he'd give up being on Muspelheim now that she'd told him she didn't want anything to do with him so they wouldn't be going back to earth. There might never be a chance of going back.

And it was all because she wasn't competent enough to win this stupid Norse-god-Hunger-Games-wedding-challenge-thing.

As she was moping and filled with self-pity, Maisy didn't notice when they made it to her room. Linn threw open the door and as it turned out, Loki was home. He was quickly fiddling with the bookcase before turning to look at them as though he'd been doing nothing suspicious. Which he hadn't, or so they'd thought until they saw the fake look of innocence on his face.

"Linn, Maisy! Good afternoon! What brings you here?"

"Maisy sprained her ankle," Linn said, oblivious, "She needs lots of rest while the healing potion gets to work."

"What are you doing here?" Maisy asked as Linn helped her into a chair, "I thought you had a date with Die-An this afternoon."

"I did, but she is not feeling well, evidently. She canceled and I escaped before Odin could force me to spend time with Tzefira or Blaze."

"Not feeling well? That's weird, she seemed fine when she was completely destroying me in our knife fight earlier."

"Yeah, but remember how she and Aoiba were fighting and toward the end Die-An looked a little teeny bit like she was 'bout to barf?" Linn commented, "I mean, she still clobbered Aoiba, but she looked sick."

"Oh, I didn't see that part, I was in too much pain. I hope she feels better by tomorrow for whatever tomorrow's task is," Maisy said, "Out of the top three she's my favorite."

"Once you get past her scariness she's sweet as a pixie eating honey."

"I am sure the healers are tending to her ailments as we speak. She'll be fine," Loki waved the matter away, "How did the events go today? I was unable to watch."

"I thought you had to be at all of the events."

"Unless Tyr is demanding my head on a platter, in which case I am more inclined to go help calm him down," Loki rolled his eyes, "By the way that man is acting you'd think his son was actually a valued member of society or something."

"Drin's dad is attacking you now?" Maisy winced, "I'm so sorry! What does he want?"

"Revenge, more power, both of us dead at his feet," Loki twirled some magic about his fingers lazily as he sat across from her at the table, "I'm sure any of the three would make him happy. But we're off topic. How did the event go?"

"Well we were kind of doing a free-for-all gladiator style battle. They tossed us all in the arena and told us to fight with our knives and skills," Maisy propped her elbows up on the table and rested her head in her hands, "I kinda tried to avoid everyone but Blaze grabbed me and threw me in the middle of the arena."

"But Maisy did okay!" Linn patted her friend's back comfortingly, "She kicked Blaze's stupid legs out from under her and then punched her in the face!"

"Bravo," Loki smiled, "You took down the champion!"

"Not really, because Blaze retaliated by throwing me directly into Tzefira," Maisy shook her head, "And she told me she didn't have time to deal with the weak so she threw me against a wall. I got up and started fighting Die-An. That's how I sprained my ankle. After that I played dead and a healer dragged me off the field. Blaze was the last standing."

"Are you alright?"

"Healing," Maisy sighed, "I'm sorry, Loki. I really thought I'd be better at this fighting stuff! Sif and I have been training so much!"

"Yes, but the others - save Aoiba - have been training since they were children. And for some of them, childhood was several centuries ago," Loki said, "If you were to face off against other humans you'd probably be doing much better."

"Yeah, unless those humans were the Avengers or something," Maisy sighed again, "Hey, I'm going to take a nap. You mind if I turn off the lights and stuff or you want me to find some other place to go?"

"By all means, nap," Loki stood up, "Come along Linn, let us leave her in peace."

"Thanks. See you at dinner?"

"Of course," Loki nodded, "Please, use the bed. Or the couch. Or something other than the floor. You seem in need of a good rest."

Maisy was so tired that she didn't even protest. She collapsed on the bed and fell asleep almost as soon as she hit the pillow. She didn't even hear Linn and Loki leave.

 **A note from the author: I know, I know, I got you all excited that Maisy was doing well and then I crushed everything. My only excuse is:** ** _plot!_** **;)**

 **Thank you so, so, so, so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you for the follows and favorites as well! As per usual, an enormous thank you to those of you who reviewed: CheetahLover (I know, they were so close! But I'm evil. ;)), ferbette (I'm so glad you like Linn because I like Linn and it makes me super happy when people like the characters that I write!), and darkangelynn5 (they really are knuckleheads, aren't they? lol)! :D**


	71. Chapter 71

"I fink she's giving up," Linn said to Loki as they stepped out of the room and gently closed the door behind them, "You should have seen her when she spotted the scoreboard. Almost made me cry."

"That bad?" Loki was unsure of what to do to boost Maisy's confidence and he was unsure of how to go about aiding her in the many challenges she still had left to face. He knew he had to do something though, or else she'd lose heart and she end up being taken away from him. She'd be trapped in Muspelheim for the rest of her life and Loki was fairly certain Surtur would not allow her visitors.

Linn went back to work with a wave goodbye and Loki began to wander the halls. It was nice that that this Taka af Brúðr business had mostly broken his probation and he was granted access to most of the palace again. As he was wandering he tried to think of ways to help Maisy win and he was so engrossed in his thoughts that he barely noticed the Man of Iron waving him down from the opposite end of the hall. With an irritated sigh, Loki went to join him.

"What do you want?"

"Loki, how good is Maisy at embroidery?" Tony asked excitedly, hands on hips.

"Why? Are you trying to spruce up your drab wardrobe?" Loki sneered, "I'm not sure that even her abilities could help you."

"So she's good?"

"From what I've seen she has some skill in the area, yes."

"Excellent!" The billionaire started rubbing his hands together and got a crafty look in his eyes. Apparently that was all he wanted from Loki because he started to walk off while Loki watched him with a quirked brow.

"Any particular reason why you needed that information?" He called after him.

"We're gonna get her so many points!" Tony laughed.

"How could you possibly arrange for an event to be about embroidery?"

"Let's just say we might have let Drin's dad overhear us talking about how terrible at embroidery and other 'womanly arts' Maisy is. It's not like he's been paying enough attention to know otherwise. Nat followed him and he requested that Odin make the next event embroidery and since your dad wants to make peace with Drin's dad Odin agreed!" With that the rich Midgardian winked and walked off.

"Alright then," Loki watched him go and kept walking himself.

He was surprised that it actually soothed some of his worries about helping Maisy. After all, if the Avengers were smart enough to defeat him then they might be smart enough to help with the competition. With his mind free, he decided to roam to Die-An's chambers and inquire about her health. There were two reasons for him doing this, partially because he was genuinely concerned, but mostly because if Maisy truly did fail, well… he'd have to marry someone. It would be best to get on her good side early. Not that he wanted Maisy to fail, but he liked to be prepared for any eventuality. Even the ones that would probably make him into a villain in the eyes of Maisy and Linn if they knew what he was up to.

Now irritated at that thought, he quickened his pace and found himself in front of Die-An's door. He knocked on the door and it was opened by a guard. The Kree man looked furious until he saw who it was, then he just appeared annoyed.

"Sir," the guard bowed his head slightly, "Captain Die-An is unavailable at the moment."

"Still sick then?" Loki shook his head, "Truly, that is too bad."

"Yes."

"I simply thought I'd stop by and see how she's doing. Too ill to speak to me I suppose?"

"I'm afraid so, but I will tell her you visited should she wake up."

"Thank you," Loki and the guard nodded at each other respectfully and Loki found that he had nothing to do until dinner. Nothing except maybe some research. He was still hoping to find some loophole that would bring Taka af Brúðr to an end and he was certain the answer he sought could be found in the library.

* * *

By the time that night's feast rolled around Maisy was feeling much better. Sleep, she found, was a good cure-all. Certainly she was still somewhat discouraged about her position on the scoreboard, but her ankle was feeling better and her mind had cleared somewhat. She was ready to get back into the game and try again because she'd realized it wouldn't be just herself that she would be letting down if she gave up. The Avengers had invested their valuable time into helping her and so had Sif and the Warriors Three. Not to mention Loki.

Maisy wasn't actually sure how upset Loki would be if she lost, but he'd told her it was more convenient for him if she stayed. So if nothing else, she could do it for his convenience. And maybe… maybe just because _she_ didn't want to leave _him_.

When she found her way to the feasting hall, she was shocked. It seemed as if half of the people usually in attendance had not showed up. All of the Kree (except for one unrecognizable representative) were missing, which was to be expected since Die-An was sick, but what was not expected was the lack of Light Elves and the lack of Krylorians. Normally the feasting hall was crawling with the entourages of each of the competitors along with any important visitors from their realms. Not that night, however.

Maisy took her seat next to the Avengers. She was directly to the left of Captain America and to the right of Black Widow, but she was more interested in Tony Stark, who was sitting across from her. He had the largest grin she'd ever seen on his smug face and he wore his bright orange sunglasses down low on his nose. Why he was wearing sunglasses inside she did not know, but she was more curious about the smile.

"Hey Tony…" she said, sitting down, "What's up?"

"Tomorrow is going to be a good day, kiddo," was all he said.

Maisy tried to get the others to tell her, but they didn't say a word on the matter. Instead they wanted to talk about embroidery, of all things. Not that Maisy didn't know plenty on the subject, she'd done a history project on it once and she always thought using it on clothing was a great way to add some flare. Still, even someone who wanted to go into the fashion industry got a little bit bored talking about all of the things she'd ever embroidered. And she couldn't imagine that Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff were all that interested in the subject.

"So, how long does it take you to do a project?" Natasha asked.

"Depends on how detailed I get and what kind of fabric it is I guess," Maisy shrugged, wishing they'd just let her eat, "Is there a reason you guys are so curious about it? You wanna learn how to embroider or something?"

And just like that they changed the subject again. They started asking her what kinds of things she was really good at. They asked about her cooking skills (nonexistent), her running ability (decent), her throwing arm (terrible), and her singing voice (not likely to make ears bleed, but not X Factor worthy). She answered all of their questions with growing suspicion and was glad when Loki left his seat near Odin and came to speak to her, interrupting the question Steve was asking about if she was able to quilt (she could).

"How's the ankle?" He asked, putting his cool hand on her bare shoulder.

"Better," Maisy smiled at him and then gestured to the empty chairs at the table, "You know where Tzefira and Aoiba are? I get Die-An not being here, being sick and all, but where'd the others go?"

"From what I've gathered they are also ill."

"Really? That sucks! Must be something going around!"

"To that end, you must promise me you'll stay away from the representatives of the sick women. Or anyone who looks like they might be ill. If the others all get sick and you do not then it will give us a significant advantage."

"Will Odin postpone stuff if everyone gets sick?"

"If all six of you are felled with disease then perhaps, but I suspect he is growing tired of this game and wants to get rid of everyone as quickly as possible," Loki chuckled quietly, "And due to my contrary nature that tempts me to make it as long as I can."

"Please don't," Maisy groaned, "I have a feeling Odin isn't the only one who wants this ordeal to be over with."

"I for one would like to get back to earth," Steve commented.

"What? Don't trust your friends in your absence?" Loki sneered, "Tired of helping a vile villain such as myself?"

"We aren't helping _you_ ," Natasha said, "We're helping Maisy."

"Helping her to stay with me."

"Loki," Maisy warned, "Let's not start a fight at dinner."

"You're right," he smiled at her in a way that wasn't comforting at all and then at the Avengers, "What would I do without my wife's council? I am truly glad that you are helping her to stay at my side."

"We're helping her because-"

"Ah, I must get back to my seat. Pleasure talking to you, Rogers, Romanoff," he winked, "Maisy, remember to stay healthy."

"Yeah, yeah!" Maisy smiled and waved him away.

"You two are pretty chummy," Natasha commented, watching the other woman closely, "You probably know him better than anyone else at this point."

"Um, I guess so."

There was a tone to Natasha's voice that sounded very much like a super spy about to interrogate someone. Which was probably exactly what was about to happen.

"Out of curiosity, has he mentioned returning to earth ever?"

"N-not really," Maisy lied, "I don't see why he'd want to."

"Not even right now when there are no Avengers on planet to stop him?"

"No, nope, uh, nah. He hasn't said, um, he hasn't mentioned anything about it. Ehrm, at least not to me. I don't think."

"You still sleeping on the floor?" Natasha asked abruptly.

"What? Oh, uh, yeah. But it's all cool! I prefer it that way. It really isn't a big iss-"

"So you aren't an actual couple or anything?"

"No!" Maisy glanced at Captain America for support, but he had the same hard look in his eyes, "No, we aren't actually, well, we aren't a thing. Not really."

She didn't mention that the idea of becoming a "thing" had started to consume more of her thoughts lately. And she didn't mention that it wasn't an unwelcome thought.

"And this Egil guy," Natasha subtly pointed at him where he sat far away from them. As usual, he kept sneaking glances Maisy's way. She'd gotten used to his looks in the days following her rejection of him and she continued to ignore them.

"What about him?"

"He lived on earth for a while. What was he doing there in the first place?"

"I have no idea. I thought he was a normal student like me when we were dating."

"He ever say anything about plans for earth?"

"Not while we were dating, no-"

"But more recently?"

"He said that his boss, Surtur needs eyes everywhere, but I don't think they are planning anything like the Battle of New York if that's what you're worried about."

"That's exactly the kind of thing we're worried about," Natasha said, "I like you Maisy, so please don't try to hold back information if you hear about either of these guys making a move on earth. Understood?"

"Of course! I would never withhold information from you guys," Maisy tried to smile confidently, "I mean, you're the freaking Avengers. Why would I hide stuff from you?"

"To protect someone you might have growing feelings for," Steve said, putting a hand on her shoulder in a much less caring fashion than Loki had, "And even though we can't stop you from being with him if that's what you really want, we can warn you against it. He's bad news, Maisy, you didn't see him in New York."

"You shouldn't protect him," Natasha agreed, "He'll only turn on you."

"Hey," Maisy shrugged the captain's hand off, "I thought you just said that I probably know him better than anyone else."

"But-"

"And I probably _do_. Except for maybe Thor, but he knows past-Loki. You guys know past-Loki. I've been staying with him for, like, three and a half months. I know what he was like and I know what he's like right now. And he's not the evil, mustache-twirling super villain you think he is."

"That still doesn't mean we're just ready to let him off the hook."

"Of course not," Maisy looked to where Loki sat. He quickly looked away from her as if he'd been caught staring, "But he isn't just a flat cartoon character who you can write off as the villain and never expect him to change."

"Maisy, we just want what's best for you," Steve started, but Maisy was done with her meal and she was getting really annoyed by the conversation. She wished them both a good evening, waved at the still grinning Tony, and left the feasting hall. With a quick look backward she saw both Egil and Loki watching her go and she sighed, wondering when her life had ended up so much like Bella Swann's. Honestly, having two immortal guys fighting over her was not as fun as it sounded. Especially when the one who cared about her was someone she could never be with and the one _she_ cared about would probably never see her as anything more than a tool and a convenience.

The thought startled her for a moment. At what point had her brain started to think she cared about Loki as anything more than a friend? It was just the fact that they were married, she was sure. Something about slapping a traditionally romantic label on their relationship was tricking her mind into thinking their friendship was of a different nature. That was it.

Although, it occurred to her that ever since that night of the party, after she'd won the horse race and as she and Loki had been talking about wedding plans, she hadn't had a single nightmare about the lindworm. Her dreams had been of an entirely different nature lately. Many of them featuring one or both of them leaning in close for a kiss. And the dreams always left a pleasant feeling behind. Was that just because of a label or was Maisy actually starting to… fall?

Maisy clenched her fists and heaved an enormous sigh.

"Aw _crap._ "

 **A note from the author: The Avengers up to no good, those rotten old super heroes. ;)**

 **I hope this chapter finds all of the amazing readers, favoriters, and followers well and that you all enjoyed it! I really appreciate you reading this story!**

 **Thank you so, so, so, so, so, so much to the reviewers: CheetahLover (to be fair, when is Loki** ** _not_** **up to something?), ferbette (excuse me while I search for a place in the story to add Egil meeting Bruce... because that is brilliant. Not sure I'll be able to work it in, but now I'm going to try my darndest to do so), and darkangelynn5 (I listened to the song you suggested and I kind of love it! Not sure I'll be able to work it in, but between you and me, I might already be working on a sequel that it would fit brilliantly in). Love you all! :)**


	72. Chapter 72

As soon as she left the dining hall Loki knew that the Earth's Stupidest Heroes had done something to upset Maisy. And that was unacceptable. He'd suspected from the beginning that their act of friendship would drop the moment Maisy started getting too friendly with Loki. The Avengers had probably harassed her on the subject and questioned her about his weaknesses.

Romanoff and Rogers were still chatting with frustrated expressions on their faces and Loki decided he wanted to know what exactly they were discussing and how much Maisy had told them about him. He didn't blame her for giving them information on him, after all she still saw them as the heroes of her realm, but was curious just how much she'd given away. It wasn't as if there was that much that she could have told.

Then again, the conversation he'd had with her two weeks ago popped into his head. He'd been hinting that he might try something against the Avengers or possibly attack Midgard again. It had been more of a test to see how Maisy would react and where her loyalties lay, and he hadn't been entirely serious. Still, the Avengers would definitely throw a tantrum over it. They'd probably demand Odin lock him up again.

It would be best to squash that idea before it was spoken aloud. So, he quietly left a double of himself in the chair next to Thor and seamlessly transformed his own face to look like a servant. Grabbing a tray from a passing staff member, he made his way over to the Avengers and did his best to eavesdrop.

"...a snake!" Rogers was saying, "You know he's going to do something to her!"

"Of course I know that," Romanoff hissed, "But how do we convince _her_?"

Loki furrowed his brow angrily. This was worse than he'd thought. They were trying to turn Maisy against him. Perhaps they didn't care much about what he was up to and were simply trying to get her away from him. Not that it was any of their business. Just because he wouldn't hesitate to kill any one of his brother's earthen friends didn't mean there weren't some people he would protect. A person like Maisy, specifically.

"I just don't understand why she's protecting him," Rogers said. Loki's furrowed brows quirked in surprise, "She clearly knows something about his future plans. Why wouldn't she tell us?"

"Yeah, I know," Romanoff said dryly, "I mean, who doesn't trust that Captain Freaking America has their best interests at heart?"

"Can you stop that?"

"Stop what?"

"Calling me 'Captain Freaking America'. You and Tony have got to stop."

"Back on topic," Romanoff smirked, "Do you think she's actually protecting him or do you think he's threatening her to keep a lid on his plans?"

Loki poured them both some more drink and made a point of spilling a bit on the Black Widow's lap. She sent a brief glare his way, but he ignored it and moved away, switched faces and came back quickly.

"I don't think he needs to threaten her," Rogers said sadly, "Did you see the look in her eyes? She's smitten with him."

"'Smitten'? Wow," Romanoff teased, "But you're right. Girl's got it bad, even if she doesn't realize it. That's why she's not telling us what she knows."

Loki froze, not caring that he looked rather suspicious just standing behind them. He was too surprised to move. Not only had Maisy kept from saying anything about him, she'd also given the impression that she had feelings for him. Something he had begun to suspect, but that she'd never conveyed to him.

And now the Avengers thought she was falling for him. Loki felt his heart pick up pace and he couldn't stop himself from wondering if their guess was right.

"What I don't get is that she _knows_ how dangerous he is," Rogers pushed his food away and rubbed his temple tiredly, "Even if she hasn't seen it first hand she knows what kind of things he's done."

"There's an idea," Romanoff got a look in her eye that made Loki suddenly very suspicious of whatever she was about to say, "She hasn't seen how dangerous he is in person. Maybe if she saw it she'd be less inclined to protect him."

"It's not like we can show her - not without putting someone in danger."

"I don't know, Loki isn't the only one with tricks up his sleeve," Romanoff smirked, "We'll talk later in private."

Loki scowled and hurried away, leaving his illusion clone to chat in his stead. He spelled it to give generic and appropriate responses and left to find Maisy. There were a few things he wished to discuss with her.

* * *

"You truly are a wonder."

Maisy spun around to face the entrance of the small garden she'd been sitting in. Loki was swaggering in with an unreadable grin on his face. She smiled briefly back at him, wondering what he was talking about.

"What's up?" She asked.

"I gather two of the members of your insufferable entourage were questioning you about me," he was standing about a foot away now, "I also discovered that you didn't tell them a thing about me."

"Yeah, I mean," she shrugged, "I didn't know that much anyway."

"But you knew something and you hid it from them," he offered his hand to her and she placed her palm in his. He brought her knuckles to his lips and smiled mischievously at her. She was pretty certain that her face was burning red and she was really glad of the darkness in the garden to cover it.

"No big deal," she _told_ herself to pull her hand away from his, but no matter how many times she instructed her hand to do so her muscles wouldn't obey. And she didn't mind.

"I am grateful regardless," he said, "If there is anything I can do in return simply say the word."

"It's chill, you've done lots of stuff for me anyway," she laughed a little, "Like saving me from bleeding out in the throne room."

"That was generous of me, wasn't it?" He gently pulled her over to a little fountain in the garden and they sat on the edge, "Still. Thank you for not ratting me out to the Avengers."

"Just so long as you really _were_ being hypothetical that time you said you'd kill them all," Maisy warned and watched his greenish eyes. Something sinister flashed across them briefly, but it was quickly gone.

"Of course!" He assured, "At least for the near future…"

"Loki!"

"I'm jesting!"

"Dude, you can't just say you're kidding around and then wink right after!" She laughed at his wink, "Totally discredits what you just said!"

"I like to be unpredictable," he laughed with her and her heart swelled. She'd never realized how much she liked the sound of his laughter. Not his scheming laughter, his honest to goodness laugh was deep and comforting. She mentally scolded herself for thinking something like that, but she couldn't keep the smile off of her face.

"Aren't you supposed to be in there wooing and stuff?"

"No one will be upset if they discover that I left a double to woo Blaze and Melantha. Come to think of it, I probably didn't even have to leave the double. Even those two don't expect me to spend any more time with them than I have to."

"So you just left in the middle of a feast to come thank me?"

"Why not? You deserve my thanks," he slowly reached over and took her hand in his once more, "Besides, there was something else I needed to speak with you about."

Just like that her heart went into uh-oh-panic-crazy-time mode and she got goosebumps all along her bare arms. She glanced down at herself and wished she hadn't worn the dress Sif had lent her again without the shawl Loki had given her. Then again, with the way he was looking at her maybe she wasn't so upset about it.

No. Nope. No. That was not a good train of thought. She wasn't going there. Nuh-uh.

"W-what's that?" she asked.

Loki opened his mouth to say something, his eyes meeting hers, but no words came out. It was a rare sight indeed to see him speechless and Maisy wondered if he was thinking something along the lines of what she was thinking. That they should move a little bit closer. That they'd known each other for a while now. That maybe, just maybe, their pseudo marriage should share some of the same qualities of a real one.

"You and I," he finally said, clearing his throat, "We get along well, do we not?"

"Yeah, yes," she nodded a little too enthusiastically, "Yup we sure do."

"I was simply wondering," he moved an inch closer, "If perhaps you had any… thoughts on the matter of our friendship. Any thoughts you'd care to share. With me."

Maisy's free hand was shaking and the hand he held was sweating and she had never felt more flustered in her life. She continued to stare into his eyes while she attempted to formulate some sort of eloquent response, but her thoughts scattered when a twig snapped somewhere else in the garden. She sat up straight and looked around and she heard Loki swear faintly.

"Hello?" She called.

"Maisy?" Clint Barton's voice called, "Nat wanted me to make sure you're alright out here."

"Damn," Loki whispered, "I forgot to mention, the Avengers are planning on finding a way to make you hate me so that you'll tell them what they want."

"What?" Maisy looked at him, "How could they make me hate you?"

"I'll explain once Barton leaves," Loki whispered as Hawkeye stepped into view from behind a bush.

"Oh," the archer raised a brow, "You."

"Well, that's a step up from firing an arrow at me every time you see me," Loki sneered.

Maisy knew that out of all the Avengers Clint hated Loki the most. She didn't know what Loki had done to bring this on, but she didn't doubt he deserved it.

"If I hadn't left my bow inside," Clint sneered right back, "But don't worry, I'm still armed so if you decide to do something I'll be more than happy to put you down."

"Such bravado!" Loki's face had gone from soft and caring to dangerous and sinister in a moment and Maisy was still reeling.

"Clint, what's up?" She asked, trying to anchor herself in conversation.

"Like I said, we just wanted to make sure you're alright," Barton narrowed his eyes at Loki, "I think it would be best if you came back inside with me."

"I'm fine out here, thanks."

"Alright," Clint crossed his arms, "I'm not your parent so I'm not going to tell you what to do."

"Thank you."

"But if you need anything I'm going to be right by the entrance to the garden," he motioned to Loki that he'd be watching and then vanished again. They heard him call over the bushes, "Just so you know, Loki, I'll be checking back randomly, so don't try anything!"

"I won't lay an _unwelcome_ finger on her," Loki called back and then turned to Maisy again, "Norns, I feel as if we are children sneaking off to osculate."

"I'm sorry, sneaking off to _what?_ "

"I believe your people callously refer to it as 'making out'."

"Oh gosh!" Maisy burst out laughing putting at hand on his shoulder, "That just sounds weird coming from your mouth. Not as weird as the word you used before, but sheesh!"

"Shush," he said playfully, "Keep your voice down or our chaperone will be upon us again."

"I wonder what's got the Avengers all feeling extra protective tonight," Maisy rolled her eyes, "Seriously, we can go practically a week without them freaking out and all of a sudden it seems like they're worried again."

"Perhaps they think we've gotten too close to one another," Loki suggested, subtly moving closer.

"Y-yeah," she looked at him, eyes wide, "Perhaps."

"As I was saying earlier, the Widow is plotting something against me."

"Right, right!" Maisy shook her head to clear it, "What's she doing?"

"She and the Captain were discussing ways to best get you to give them information and they settled on the idea of making you fear me."

"Pssh," Maisy scoffed, "That's not going to happen anytime soon."

"Oh no?" He smirked, "Am I not the most terrifying person you've ever encountered?"

"You definitely are," she smirked right back, "When we first met I thought you were going to kill me. I thought that for a while, actually."

"What changed?"

"I think _we_ did," Maisy said, "And the Avengers aren't going to convince me to be scared of you again."

"Good," his voice lowered a little and his face tilted toward her just the smallest amount, "I don't want you to ever feel frightened by me."

They didn't sit there for long enough for them to get back on the original topic of conversation (from before Hawkeye had interrupted them) because they were both tired. They left the garden through a back entrance that Loki knew of, sidestepping Clint entirely. He'd probably freak out when he went to check on them and found them both missing, but they could deal with that in the morning. For the time being they were content to walk back to their room, hand in hand.

 **A note from the author: I told you this was going to be a slow-burn, didn't I? Don't worry, the wait will be worth it... hopefully.**

 **Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed it** **immensely or even just somewhat. If it gave you even a moment of entertainment I am glad.**

 **As per usual, a special thanks to those who reviewed: ferbette (suspicious? what? not at all! I don't know what you're talking about) and CheetahLover (it does seem like it has taken her a fair bit of time... like 71 chapters or so). I was so giddy when I read your kind words that my cat freaked out a little. :)**

 **Until tomorrow, my friends!**


	73. Chapter 73

Maisy had come prepared for the day dressed in her fighting gear. The black skinny-jean-like pants and the black tunic with the green chiffon cap sleeves and her green combat boots. The outfit made her feel like a boss and after doing so poorly the day before and her muddled thoughts on Loki she needed the boost. However, she was surprised when the Avengers came to walk her to the day's event that they did not lead her to the arena. As if turned out, she had no need for her battle clothes.

Entering the lounge the Avengers led her to, she was surprised to find Madame Veru the seamstress glaring at her. Maisy looked to Tony Stark and saw he had not lost his excited grin from the previous night and now Jane shared it. It seemed all of her entourage knew what the plan for the day was but they hadn't bothered to tell Maisy.

"Hey guys… what's going on?"

"You'll find out!"

"It's gonna be great!"

"You'll love it!"

"Prepare to pass some people on the scoreboard, kid!"

Maisy raised a brow, but decided the day's task couldn't be too terrible if they weren't telling her about it. If it were anything big they would have warned her so she could prepare. So, she went and took the seat obviously designated for her (as all the others were filled) and glanced to the other competitors.

"Die-An!" She exclaimed, "How are you feeling today?"

The Kree captain sluggishly looked up from staring blankly at her hands. She gave a tremulous smile and nodded half heartedly.

"I am well," she took a painful sounding breath, "I am simply… a little… under the… weather. Thank you for… asking."

"You been to the healers yet? I'm sure they've got something that could help you," Maisy suggested worriedly. Die-An was obviously not well, but her commanding officer had probably ordered her to come to the event anyway.

"I have seen them," Die-An replied, "They… they gave me some medicine."

"Is it working?"

Die-An glanced blearly around the room, but no one else was paying attention to their conversation except Aoiba, who looked equally sick.

"No…" the Kree whispered, "If I speak with honesty… I've never felt worse… in my life."

"Oh Die-An, I'm so sorry!" Maisy cooed, "Are you sure you shouldn't be resting?"

"I will survive this task and sleep… sleep it off."

"Princess Aoiba," Maisy turned to the other girl, "How are you feeling?"

"Pr-probably not much better than An here," Aoiba gave a tiny smile and rested her elbows on her work table, "I think the sleeping plan s-sounds good."

"Tzefira is sick too, isn't she?" Maisy looked down at the end of the row where the warrior elf sat. Her face was sunken and had a greenish tint to it, her hands were shaking as they dangled from her sides, her artful braids were in a massive tangle, and it looked as if she hadn't slept a wink. Still, she held her head high even if her shoulders slumped and she'd also come in her fighting outfit.

"P-poor dear," Aoiba's teeth were chattering as if she was cold, "She's lost that… t-touch of sunshine… f-from her skin."

"I wonder what you all caught!" Maisy was beginning to feel true worry about her fellow competitors. They might be standing in the way of her staying in Asgard, but she knew they didn't mean any harm. She hated to see sick people, it always made her feel sick herself.

"S-some small sickness no doubt," Aoiba smiled, "Thank you f-for your c-concern."

Maisy nodded and then turned to Odin when he and his sons walked into the room. They took the three massive seats across from the contestants and Odin's one eyed glare caused Maisy to have a whole new set of worry. Until he started speaking.

"When Asgard does not focus on the art of war it is a great advocate for the arts," Odin said, "Today we you shall be showing us your skill in the area of one of our traditional crafts."

The girls looked at each other. They'd all been told that today they would be showing off their fencing skills. Not that there was much room in the lounge for fencing demonstrations.

"Our head seamstress in the palace, Madame Veru, will be passing out the tools you need. You are allowed to make any design of your choice, but be aware that they will be displayed outside of the arena. Madame Veru and I will give our input on the pieces, but the ultimate decision will be made by citizens of Asgard voting blindly. As soon as you have your tools you may begin."

He never even said what they were doing, but Veru started passing out needles, seamers, brightly colored thread, and white fabric. Maisy felt her spirits lift immediately and then they soared when little wooden hoops joined the rest of the tools. She now understood why Tony had been smiling so brightly because she was doing a fair impression of his expression.

When the Midgardian glanced at her competition she couldn't deny being just a teeny bit happy that everyone except Aoiba looked horrified at the tools they'd been given. Die-An gaped at the needles blankly and then looked at Aoiba in confusion. Aoiba didn't bother to return the look before picking up her tools and getting started. Tzefira wheezed in disbelief and coughed with an angry expression. Melantha looked the least composed she'd ever been with a deeply furrowed brow, but she simply took up the seamer and got to work. Blaze was drumming her fingers on her table and watching Maisy carefully. Maisy realized that the other girl was likely watching to see how to get started, like a kids sneaking looks during an exam.

Ignoring Blaze, Maisy grabbed her hoop and the fabric, putting them together just like she'd done every time she'd embroidered. Then she raised her hand and Madame Veru approached with a sneer.

"What do you want?"

"I was wondering if I could possible have a pencil or some graphite or charcoal or something," Maisy smiled pleasantly, trying to mend the tear she'd created between herself and the seamstress.

"Fine," Veru grabbed a handful of pencils from her pocket and practically threw them at the six girls, "Everyone gets a pencil."

"Thank you."

"No! Don't add more tools!" Tzefira panted, "Ugh!"

Maisy started sketching her design onto the fabric with a small smile on her face. She and Aoiba got so into the groove of their embroidery after half an hour that they started chatting with each other. Of course, for the first while all they spoke of was the weather because it seemed all the princess knew how to converse about, but eventually they started talking about a subject that interested Maisy a great deal more. Fashion.

"Someday you really must come to Krylor," Aoiba said, her teeth chattering and slowed speech had come to a stop not to long ago and Maisy felt proud to have taken her mind off her sickness, "You should come during our spring ball! All of the latest fashions are displayed!"

"That sounds _amazing_ ," Maisy grinned, stitching away, "What did you wear to the last one?"

"The most gorgeous one piece suit you've ever seen in your life!" Aoiba gushed, beginning to describe it, "Modeled after a Terran jumpsuit I saw on your internet! I believe it was designed by Stella McCartney."

"No way, you like Stella McCartney too?!" Maisy exclaimed.

"Would you two shut up before I shut you up?" Blaze snapped, "No one cares about stupid Midgardian clothing!"

"Rude," Aoiba whispered and then refocused on her needlework, sending a quick glance Maisy's way and said very quietly: "What do you think of Vivienne Westwood's work?"

"Girl, you and I need to sit down and have a chat about fashion," Maisy giggled, "When Blaze McBossypants isn't around."

"Agreed!"

"I can still hear giggling!" Blaze called.

They all went back to their work. Maisy snuck glances at the other's work and she almost felt bad. The warrior women were all struggling with basic stitches.

Tzefira and Melantha had opted to use the seamer for their work, which seemed a good idea in theory, but having used one Maisy knew that it couldn't do the detailed work needed for embroidery. The elves were finding that out as they had to rip out stitches.

Blaze's piece was already burnt and blackened at the edges from her frustration. She'd chosen the needle, but it wasn't helping her because she was too impatient. Her stitches were much too big and stretched over huge sections of fabric. When viewed from afar this method looked decent, but up close it looked as lazy as it was.

Poor Die-An had put in some simple stitching, but was now so tired that she was just staring at her fabric. Pretty soon her head slumped and she began snoring softly. If Maisy hadn't been so certain that the girl needed rest she would have woken her. And it wasn't as if she was behind in points, so it was probably fine to let her sleep.

The competition went on for hours. Odin sat stoically through the whole thing, never even twitching. Thor had grown bored quickly and left the room for lunch. Loki was watching, but his head was propped up with his hand and he looked like he might soon fall asleep. Madame Veru paced back and forth between the girls, scoffing whenever she looked at someone's work. The entourages seemed bored and many had left with Thor to get lunch. The only member from Maisy's own group who hadn't left was Bruce. Whenever she looked at him he gave her an encouraging smile and two thumbs up.

Six whole hours passed. Maisy was still going strong along with Aoiba and they'd started chatting about Krylorian styles again. Blaze didn't seem to care now, as she was adding random decorations to her piece. Tzefira had done what she could and had joined Die-An (and now Loki) in snoozing. Melantha was quietly reworking some of her seamer stitches with a needle and thread and not paying attention to anyone else as usual.

Finally, on the seventh hour Odin called time and Maisy felt a little disappointed. She'd been thinking of adding a decorative edge to her piece. Embroidery had been so relaxing compared to all the fighting they'd been doing lately, it was unfortunate that it was done.

"Madame Veru, if you would collect the pieces," Odin said, rising from his seat.

Loki startled awake and blinked at everyone slowly. His eyes settled on Maisy and he raised a brow questioningly. She smiled at him to let him know that it had gone well. He nodded in return.

Once everyone's work had been taken by the grouchy seamstress, Odin told them that the pieces would be put on display by the end of the day and that anyone was allowed to vote on the pieces, even the contestants themselves. With those parting words everyone was dismissed.

Maisy started to tidy up her station, but was interrupted when Melantha approached her. The Midgardian stiffened at the fierce expression on the queen's face.

"Hello Your Majesty," Maisy nodded.

"I glimpsed your work, Ms. Sichore," Melantha said, "You are an exceptionally talented needleworker."

"Thank you! I've been practicing for years and-"

"I did not come over here to discuss embroidery," the queen put her hand up to stop Maisy from speaking, "I only wished to warn you against befriending Aoiba."

"Wait, what?" Maisy's eyes widened and then skimmed the room to find Aoiba beaming at Loki as she, undoubtedly, discussed the weather.

"She is not as she seems. Simply keep that in mind."

"Oh. Okay," Maisy said as Melantha swept away gracefully.

"Hey Softbreeze, time to get up you slug!" Blaze shook Tzefira awake and the elf had a knife at Blaze's throat in an instant. Blaze pointed her own knife at Tzefira with a sneer.

"Do not touch me," Tzefira growled.

"Sorry, I thought you'd want to wake up, seeing as your whole group left you here," Blaze stepped back and then looked over at Die-An, "Sichore, can you wake that one up? She's drooling."

Maisy nodded and put a hand on Die-An's shoulder, careful not to startle her. She didn't want to be throat punched or knocked onto the ground by the warrior woman. However, it seemed Die-An was too sick to want to wake up. She groaned and continued to snore.

"Die-An," Maisy called softly, "C'mon, you need to get up and go to bed."

"Is she alright?" Aoiba came over with Loki in tow. He pulled Maisy back a bit and she remembered that she was supposed to be staying away from the girls who were sick.

"Captain Die-An," Loki said loudly, "Captain it is time to wake up. The competition is over."

The only response was a rattling breath and then the Kree girl toppled from her seat. Her eyes were halfway open and she looked worse than if she had died. Something was definitely wrong.

"Her pulse is faster than a rabbit," Loki said, "Everyone back up!"

"I'm going to go get a healer!" Maisy exclaimed, "Loki, can you do anything to help her?"

"I'll use what healing magic I can," he assured, "Someone find the Kree as well. They may know how to help her better."

"I will do that," Tzefira wheezed, hobbling for the door, "They can't be far!"

Maisy nodded and then ran out into the corridor. She was planning to sprint right to the healer's station, but was stopped when Egil stepped into her path. Rather than slow down, she continued to run, planning on sidestepping him.

"Maisy, what in the nine realms are you doing?" He called, "I need to speak with you!"

"Can't! Gotta get help!"

"What?! For who?!"

"Die-An!" Maisy yelled, sprinting past him. Luckily he did not pursue and she was able to make it to the healer's station. She got a few healers to follow her back to the lounge where Die-An was and by the time they got there she was thrashing and Loki was trying to hold her still to keep her from hurting herself.

"She's having a seizure!" One of the healers said, crouching down next to the girl, "Let go of her, prince."

Loki did as asked and started clearing the furniture out of the way. Everyone took a few steps back to be out of the way. The Kree arrived with great shouting and the healers told them promptly to shut up. Everyone was panicked.

"Turn her on her side," the healers told each other, flipping Die-An onto her side, "Everyone out, right now!"

Most people complied right away, but the Kree insisted on staying. Maisy was quick to move out of the room. She, like most of the others, stood right outside worriedly until a healer yelled at them to leave the area and give them time to work.

"Poor thing!" Aoiba exclaimed as they walked away, "She must have gotten it worse than Tzefira and I!"

"I would wager her people pushed her too hard while she was ill," Loki commented grimly, glancing over his shoulder, "She should have been resting."

"I think I will go rest," Tzefira said wearily, "I certainly do not wish to end up like that."

"I will do the same," Aoiba tutted, "I hope Asgard's healers are as good as everyone says."

"Looks like your top pick is out of the running," Blaze sung as she passed by Loki, "It's gonna be me, Tzefy, and Mel that you can choose from."

"Die-An is strong," Loki dismissed, "She will be fine."

"You hope!" Blaze reached over and pinched his cheek, "Start thinking about baby names, pal! You and I-"

"Oh get lost!" Maisy snapped suddenly, "Go bathe in blood or whatever it is you do with your free time!"

"Oh ho ho!" Blaze grinned as Loki shook her off, "Sichore's got a temper after all! How adorable! I thought you were a doormat!"

"Hey, if you don't leave I'll tell everyone what Heimdall said back on the Bridge," Maisy warned, taking a threatening step in Blaze's direction. Loki looked at them curiously.

"You dare do that and I might just have to pay a visit to your crazy father. Doubt Loki would mind if I slit the old man's throat, would you princey boy?" Blaze's eyes had darkened and she looked truly frightened by the possibility of Maisy spilling her secrets, "I'll see you in the arena, Sichore."

"I'll be waiting!" Maisy hollered as Blaze walked away. The Midgardian was bristling with anger and she was worried about Die-An. She was so caught up in her emotions that she yelped in surprise when Loki put a hand on her shoulder and turned her around to face him.

"What exactly did Heimdall say?" He asked.

"Huh?" Maisy shook her head, "Oh, he called her by a different name… uh… Gala something-dote-tire or something."

"Really?" Loki crossed his arms and looked in the direction Blaze had gone, "Did Heimdall say anything else?"

"Yeah, he said something about how if she killed Heimdall then Odin would throw her out of Asgard _again_ ," Maisy started walking and Loki kept pace with her, "Do you think the healers will be able to help Die-An?"

"I don't know," Loki said quickly, not seemingly all that concerned, "Heimdall said 'again', as if she'd been thrown from Asgard before?"

"Yeah," Maisy waved her hand, "But that's not important right now! I'm worried about Die-An! And I thought you would be too since she's your 'top choice' _apparently_."

Blaze's words hadn't escaped Maisy's notice. She knew that if Loki had to pick someone else he would choose Die-An, but she hadn't thought of the Kree girl as being his favorite.

"Don't let a jibing comment from that woman make you jealous," Loki chuckled, "You are still the one I want to win."

"I'm not jealous!" Maisy exclaimed, realizing that she totally was jealous.

"If it makes you feel better, Die-An does not seem that impressed by me."

"I'm not jealous of Die-An. I like Die-An. In fact, I'm really, really, really worried about Die-An, so let's stop talking about stupid stuff."

"Right, let's speak of something important, like how Blaze used to live in Asgard," Loki said.

"What?"

"How else would Odin have previously cast her out? She must be from here."

"I bet that's how she knew how to put the canon together so well last week," Maisy said, "She's probably done it before."

"I would not be surprised," Loki scratched his chin, "My only wonder is how Odin does not recognize her if he has cast her out. Surely he would remember the face of a girl who committed a crime foul enough to deserve being thrown from Asgard."

"Maybe she looked different because she was younger," Maisy suggested, "Or maybe she's using a spell or something."

"Doubtful. I would have sensed it."

"Huh," Maisy was glad of a puzzle to take her mind off of Die-An thrashing on the floor, "Do you guys have birth certificates in Asgard?"

"There may be something in the Hall of Records," Loki replied, "Some form documenting her birth and what family she is of. Do you recall anything about her surname?"

"I think it started with a 'T'?" Maisy winced, "Sorry, I was kind of freaked out from having been tossed off a horse when Heimdall said it. I wasn't paying that close of attention."

"Gala isn't that popular of a name, perhaps we will find her regardless," Loki swore suddenly and Maisy stopped, looking around for trouble. When she saw nothing she looked back to Loki, "Blast, I've forgotten that I am not allowed in the Hall of Records."

"Your probation has been kind of lax since this whole business started hasn't it? Maybe you're allowed in now?"

"No, no," Loki smirked, "It is not because of my crimes against Midgard and Jotunheim that I am forbidden to enter. It is because of something I did about a hundred years ago."

"What's that?"

"I altered some records and made a few documents go missing."

"Why?"

"Because I thought it would be funny. I got rid of the record of Fandral's birth and changed the year Volstagg was born. I also may have possibly made it seem that Thor and Sif were betrothed. Then I pretended to discover the document I'd made and show it to them."

"Uh oh," Maisy was smiling a little.

"Thor fainted. Sif looked like she might have actually been happy about it. They showed Odin what I'd found and he learned of my meddling."

"Okay, so you can't go into the Hall of Records because you did something stupid," Maisy elbowed him playfully, "And I can't go because I'm only allowed to go where you go. But who says Thor can't go?"

"Must we truly ask my brother for help?" Loki groaned.

"We must!" Maisy grinned, "Besides, I haven't really talked with Thor in forever, it will be fun!"

"Says you."

 **A note from the author: Sorry for the brief break there, I had quite a busy day and by the time I got home I was too tired to post a chapter. Oh well.**

 **I hope you are liking the bit of mystery that I've thrown in, from now on the plot really starts to take off. I think there are still some fluffy things in there as well, but it is mostly plot oriented. Should be terribly exciting! Maybe, hopefully, at least I think so.**

 **Thank you so much for reading! It is wonderful that a silly little idea I had can entertain so many people across the globe! That's the grand thing about the internet, isn't it? It can really connect us over things like fanfiction and a decent story.**

 **As always, a massive thank you to those of you who reviewed: ferbette (I think, in regards to the Avengers being ridiculous, it's kind of because they don't know the extent of how bad Egil is and in there minds there could be no one worse than Loki - don't worry, they sort of get over it eventually... almost), CheetahLover (I do have a cat! His name is Remy and he is a sweetheart!), Lwolf (nice to hear from you again, glad you are still liking the story!), and darkangelynn5 (you're right, Maisy did get pretty lucky as far as forced marriages go! Thank you for the second song suggestion! I think I liked the first one better, but** ** _Anywhere_** **was a very powerful one as well and good to listen to while editting some of the more dramatic bits of this story! One of my favorite romantic songs currently is called** ** _End of the World_** **by FM Reset, which doesn't have much to do with this story, but it's fun to listen to if you're interested!).**

 **Until next time my friends! :D**


	74. Chapter 74

This was the third trip that day that Linn had made to Captain Die-An's chambers to collect soiled towels and clothing. The Kree handing them off to her told her to be careful not to touch the vomit stains on some of the clothing. Not that she had any particular desire to touch barf anyway. The towels had more vomit and sweat and Linn was more than a little alarmed to find one towel soaked with a blue liquid she knew to be Kree blood.

"Is the cap'n okay?" The laundress asked meekly upon taking the bloody towel into her basket. The Kree man at the door opened his mouth and looked like he was about to give a snobby response about not telling the servants things of importance, but he was cut off by a cry of pain from inside and the sound of someone throwing up.

"Excuse me," the man said, closing the door hastily.

"Poor mite," Linn clucked carrying her basket away, holding it at arm's length, "Sounds awful bad."

"Yes it does," Egil Belison was suddenly in front of the girl. She glared at him.

"Get out of the way," she snapped.

"Aren't you brave?" Egil laughed, "Much more so than when I popped out of the fireplace, hmm?"

"I got a basket full of barfy fings," Linn warned, "If you don't want it dumped on you, you'd best move out of my way."

"You and Maisy and the trickster are all close friends," he said, allowing her to continue walking, but keeping step with her, "Where is Maisy?"

"Haven't seen her today," Linn answered truthfully, "And I wouldn't tell you if I did know."

"Of course not," Egil sighed, "Very well, maybe I shall just follow you around until you find her. How does that sound, little _gaaaahh! My eyes!_ "

Linn had enough and had used the little spray bottle that the Black Widow lady had given her. She'd aimed it right at Egil's eyes like she'd been told and the results were most satisfying. He had tears streaming down his eyes and he was cursing her name.

"I'll kill you if I see you again, laundress! I'll kill you!"

"Yeah, but you can't see me, can ya buddy?"

"I'll be around every corner waiting for you, you disgusting peasant!"

"Call it pay back for what you did to me, jerk!"

Linn picked up her pace, leaving him behind quickly. Sometimes she still thought she could feel him clawing at her brain. It wasn't a pleasant feeling and it only intensified when he was nearby. She wondered if Loki had really convinced Egil to completely leave her mind of if there were some traces left behind. Maybe now that the prince had his magic back she could have him take another look at her noggin. Just to be safe.

In the meantime she had towels to wash and more to bring to the Kree. Die-An did not sound as if she was doing any better and by the amount of healers that had been going in and out of her room, things didn't look good.

 **A note from the author: just a short one right now, but I might try to post the next one later, depending on how much time I have.**

 **Thank you so much for reading/favoriting/following! And, of course, a massive thank you to my reviewers, who have been with us through thick and thin. Give it up for: CheetahLover and ferbette! :D**


	75. Chapter 75

"I got what you asked for," Thor boomed, entering Loki and Maisy's room without knocking. Maisy was sitting at the table sketching and Loki was showering. The woman smiled at her brother-in-law and put her pencil down.

"Awesome! It's all in that book then?"

"A list of all the girls around her age - if she is indeed Asgardian. They are listed alphabetically by first name," he flipped to a section of the book.

"Great, thanks Thor," Maisy smiled, "If she's in here we'll find her."

"I meant to congratulate you for your work today," he said, patting her hand, "I stopped by the arena to see how everyone had done. The names are not attached to the pieces, but it is easy to tell which one is yours based on skill alone!"

"I don't know, Aoiba's was really good too," she said, "Did you vote?"

"I did! Princess Aoiba's is the one made to look like feathers, correct?"

"Yep!"

"Good, for that is not the one I voted for," he laughed, "I have not spoken with you one on one for some time. How do you fare?"

"I'm okay, how about you?"

"I am well, thank you," he gestured to the bathroom door, "How are you two getting along?"

"Um," she twirled her pencil nervously, "Oh you know, we're good. We get along better than we did at first."

"Good!" Thor grinned brightly and then got a sneaky look in his eye, "Natasha told me she suspects you and my brother are-"

"Thor," Loki burst out of the bathroom at exactly the right time, "You've found what we are looking for?"

"I believe so," Thor winked at Maisy, "How are you, brother?"

"Why do you care?"

"Then you are well! Excellent," the crown prince chuckled, "And your wife informs me she is doing well. I am glad that you are both… uh… doing well."

"Do you _want_ something Thor?"

"No! Not at all!" Thor winked again and turned to the book, "Let us see if we can find this mystery Muspelheim mistress!"

Maisy snorted in amusement and looked down at the pages with Thor. Loki sat down next to her and leaned in close to see as well. The three of them stayed that way quietly until they'd read through all of the names on the list with no luck.

"No girl named Gala who has a father's name starting with a T," Thor sighed, "How unfortunate. Do you think she could be in a different volume? Older or younger than we suspect?"

"Perhaps," Loki nodded, "But I've had an idea."

"What?"

"What if our friend Blaze is Asgardian, but she was born to an Asgardian noble?" Loki said.

"Then it is twice as likely that she would be in the book," Thor replied.

"Unless only _one_ of her parents was a noble."

"Oooh," Maisy gasped, catching on.

"What?"

"Blaze may very well be the illegitimate child of some illustrious nobleman," Loki rubbed his hands together gleefully, "The plot thickens! I wonder what man it was."

"Couldn't her mom be the noble person?" Maisy asked.

"Perhaps, but if a noblewoman was married and had a child born of an affair the child would still probably be passed off as her husband's offspring - unless there was a noticeable feature that said otherwise. Blaze would have been raised here."

"Why do we not simply ask Heimdall?" Thor asked.

"Good idea!"

"No," Loki said, "If Blaze found out that we were looking into it she'd probably kill Mr. Sichore. And as nice as that would be-"

"Hey, watch it!"

"I assume you'd prefer it if he lived."

"If I ask Heimdall she will never even know," Thor pointed out, "I will ask him tomorrow. It will be fine! And perhaps we will send a few extra guards to the inn where Josh Sichore is staying."

Loki was about to respond, but their door burst open and Linn rushed into the room. She ran right to Maisy and gave her a big hug with tears in her eyes.

"Whoa! What's going on? You okay?"

"Linn, are you alright?" Loki asked. Thor just looked confused, as usual.

"I'm fine," Linn said, "But I just went to the Kree room to give them more towels…"

"Yeah?"

"Die-An is dead!"

 **A note from the author: Thank you for reading and thank you so much to the reviewers: ferbette, Eliza, darkangelynn5, the guest reviewer (I'm not sure what you mean by "elaborate the incidents", but I'm always up for writing tips so if you would care to explain it would be appreciated), and CheetahLover! I'm so glad you are enjoying this story so much that you are inspired to leave me inspiring reviews. :)**


	76. Chapter 76

All events for the day after the embroidery competition were canceled. No one was sure if all of Taka af Brúðr would come to an end and no one wanted it to, but they also couldn't see how any sort of festivity could continue. Not after the death of one of the top three competitors.

Loki was somewhat surprised by his own sadness as he watched the Kree carry their captain on a stretcher through the palace. They were taking her to their ship and flying home as soon as possible. And no one blamed them for it.

The procession passed in front of the royal family and the other women participating in the fight and Loki had to fight back genuine tears. Die-An was dressed in her green and white uniform, her electrified staff laying beside her. She looked thinner, paler, and exactly how a corpse would look. This bothered Loki because he could only remember the small smile on her usually stoic face when she threw rocks at Huginn and Muninn. Even if he hadn't known her as well as he'd liked he knew that she would never be this still or peaceful looking.

Odin said some consoling words to the leader of the Kree, but Loki wasn't paying attention. He couldn't stop staring at the deep blue skin and black facial tattoos. Had he never met Maisy then he would have gladly accepted Die-An. She was not much like him, but she had made him laugh and had been sweetly awkward.

"Thank you, King Odin," the Kree commander said, shaking Odin's hand, "We appreciate your kind words. Goodbye."

"Farewell."

"Prince Loki?" One Kree woman said.

"Yes?"

"The Captain recalled how you admired her necklace at the ball. She said that if you would like a similar one made from her eyes-"

"I appreciate the offer, but I must decline," Loki tried not to look sick at the idea and the woman raised a brow, "Besides, she had young siblings and family, did she not? I would not deprive them of the honor."

"Very well," the woman looked ready to move on, but stopped and shook Loki's hand, "Just so you know, she thought highly of you. I have not seen her so excited in many years as she was at the thought of winning this contest. And… though she was never one to gush, you were the main topic of her conversation most days."

"Thank you for telling me," Loki wished she hadn't. It made him feel ten times worse about the whole ordeal.

The Kree moved past the royals and made their way to the hallway that would lead them to their ship. They were gone without much ceremony or pomp. Just the way Die-An had died.

Loki looked across from him where the remaining contestants stood. Aoiba was wearing a pink veil in mourning and wiping her eyes with a dark green kerchief. Tzefira still looked rather sick and Loki hoped the illness would not claim her as well, even if she was annoying. Melantha had her head bowed solemnly and she did not look up. Even Blaze had the decency to look miserable, though her misery looked oddly like suspicion and she was glancing at the girls around her as if they had killed Die-An.

And, as he suspected, Maisy's eyes looked like a dam about to break when she met his gaze. Her hands were shaking badly and she tried to hide it by twisting them together. She'd worn the clothes of his that she'd refashioned and he noticed that she'd added a white stripe next to the green one on the sleeve. Kree colors.

The thing Loki wanted most in that moment was to cross the five feet between them, ignore all of the other people in the room, and draw her into his arms. As sad as he felt, at least he was used to death and more numb to it by now, Maisy would be a wreck.

When the Kree were out of sight everyone began to slowly move. Thor and Odin left, Tzefira and Aoiba's attendants quickly took them back to their rooms, probably for more rest. Blaze looked as if she wanted to say something, but Egil came up behind her, glared at Loki, and then led his champion away. Only Melantha and Maisy were left.

"Dry your eyes, Midgardian," Melantha said and Loki really wanted to hit her. Who was she to boss his Maisy around? She was the daughter of a murderer and not fit to walk these halls.

"Leave her alone," he snapped, his voice echoing slightly in the large room, "She may cry if she wishes. Not everyone is as callous about the death of an ally as you are."

"The Kree were never my allies," Melantha replied coldly, "But I am not above being saddened by the loss of young life. And I did not mean to be cruel, Ms. Sichore."

"It's fine," Maisy mumbled, the tears starting to fall.

"I only meant that there is work to be done and such work will be much more difficult with tears in your eyes."

"What work?" Loki asked, finally giving into his instinct and wrapping his arm around Maisy's shoulders. He pulled her into his side and she sniffled loudly.

"You don't find it the least bit odd that strong and healthy Captain Die-An got sick so suddenly? Or that the illness took her life so quickly while it leaves the Light Elf and the Krylorian standing?"

"What are you saying?" Maisy asked.

"I'm saying that once the Kree return to their empire that you ought to write to send word to them requesting they check for anything out of the ordinary in Die-An's system."

"You think she and the other two were poisoned?" Loki demanded.

"I think she and one other were poisoned," Melantha said, crossing her arms, "The third is only acting to take suspicion away from her."

"You told me yesterday to be wary of Aoiba," Maisy said, straightening up. Her shaking stopped, "You can't seriously think that she would-"

"I do not think it. I know it."

"I am, frankly, surprised that you aren't blaming Tzefira," Loki scoffed, "Seeing how you hate her people."

"Just because I have quarrel with the Light Elves does not mean I hate them so much to blame one of them for a murder I know she did not commit."

"But such allegations against Aoiba are unfounded in any sort of evidence," Loki countered, "What reason would she have to murder anyone?"

"I do not yet know," Melantha admitted, "But I do know all of this nonsense seems to revolve around your Midgardian."

"Me?" Maisy asked and Loki couldn't help but feel a grim smugness when he noticed that she didn't protest to being called _his_ Midgardian.

"All I know so far is that Belison has made a mess of things because he is a lovesick fool with a vision of the future and that Surtur does not approve of his actions."

"A vision?" Loki asked.

"Not this again," Maisy said, to his surprise, "Is it the stupid vision about me getting killed?"

"What?! Why is this the first I am hearing of this?" He looked down at her and she was rolling her dewy eyes, "Maisy, did someone tell you a prophecy about your death and you ignored them?!"

"Her former lover is half Vanir," Melantha pointed out.

"Egil told you of a vision he had?"

"Yes," Maisy grumbled, "When he… uh… first saw me again-"

"When he locked you in the closet with him?"

" _Yes_ ," she looked nervously at Melantha, "He said he'd had a vision of the future where some dude took me away from him and then caused my death. He thinks the dude is you and that if he doesn't get me out of here I'm going to get killed or something."

Loki gaped at her, wondering why in the nine realms she hadn't told him this. It seemed like vital information to have.

"My spies heard him discussing it with the one they call Blaze," Melantha said, "I suppose you know of her true name?"

"Sort of," Maisy replied, "How do you know?"

"I am in a court full of people who hate me. You thought I was going to come here without knowing everything about my competition?"

"You know stuff about _me_?" The green haired girl narrowed her eyes.

"How else would I know you and Belison were an item?" Melantha smirked, "I also know that your mother left your family and is now living in a place called Ontario."

"Even I didn't know that," Maisy's eyes were wide, "Ontario, Canada?"

"Focus," Melantha said, "We can discuss mothers at another time."

"What is Blaze's real name?" Loki asked, "And is she truly of Asgard?"

"Gala, daughter of Lord Tyr."

" _Drin's dad?!"_ Maisy exclaimed and Loki felt like doing the same.

"Indeed," Melantha shuddered suddenly, her pointed ear tips quivering, "Is there a place where we might speak more privately. I believe there are listeners nearby."

"Come to our room," Maisy said and Loki could have groaned when he saw the elven queen lift a smug brow at him.

"You share a room, hmm?"

"We'll explain it all when we get there," Loki said, ushering them both in the direction they were meant to go. He had not wanted an enemy of Asgard to know anything more than she needed to know, but here they were inviting her into their home.

They arrived at the room and found Linn tidying up while crying. Maisy pulled away from Loki immediately and ran to their young friend. She wrapped her arms around the girl and must have whispered something comforting because Linn nodded and left. Loki squeezed her shoulder as she passed and she gave him a quick hug.

"You are rather familiar with the staff here," Melantha commented, sweeping into the room and immediately taking a seat at the head of the table. It didn't matter that the table was round, it seemed the spot she sat at immediately became the head. Everything she did had the authority of a ruler and Loki wondered how she pulled it off.

"Linn's my friend," Maisy said, sitting down as well.

"Having friends gets people killed," Melantha replied, casually flipping through the record book they'd left out the night before, "Specifically the friends."

"Well that's a stupid way to go through life."

"You are painfully…"

"Naive?"

" _Midgardian_ ," Melantha closed the book and gave Maisy a serious look, "But I suppose those are the same thing."

"Blaze is called Gala Tyrdottir," Loki interrupted, walking over to the window and looking out at the city. He caught a glimpse of the Kree ship taking off, "Who is her mother?"

"From what I have gathered her mother is dead. No idea who she was except that she was not from Asgard," Melantha answered, "And before you ask, I am not certain what exactly caused Gala's exile. All I know is that she was very young and Tyr was not upset about it."

"And she has always been in Surtur's service?" Loki asked.

"No!" Maisy exclaimed, "Because Sif told me Blaze was knew to his ranks!"

"She was raised in Muspelheim, but she did not start working for her king until recently," Melantha agreed, "And from what my spies tell me she did not wish to compete in the first place, but Belison convinced Surtur that they needed to participate and Surtur ordered her to go."

"And Egil wanted to come because of his vision," Loki turned from the window and gave Maisy a hurt look, "Why didn't you tell me what he said?"

"I didn't think it was a big deal," Maisy replied, "Prophecies and crap? That's not real is it?"

"Vanir visions are seldom wrong," he took her hand, "Had I know…"

"What? What would you have done?" Maisy smiled wryly, "According to his vision you might be the one to cause my death. It's mumbo jumbo. I know you won't hurt me."

"Not intentionally," Melantha commented, "But those who the trickster love do have a tendency to get killed… take Queen Frigga for ex-"

Loki leapt over to the table and grabbed her throat, she only smiled as he barely contained himself from choking her. Maisy cried out in surprise and tried to pry his hand away. He finally let go and sat down, fists clenched.

"Sheesh!" Maisy gasped, sitting down as well, "You okay, Your Majesty?"

"I wouldn't have come away with you two if I couldn't handle his temper tantrums," the elf queen's grey eyes were alight with humor, as if she found her near death experience funny, "Returning to the topic at hand, Egil Belison has orchestrated all of Taka af Brúðr so that he might get you back in his possession. I, at least, would never have learned or cared that Loki had started courting someone had Belison not sent word."

"So he _did_ alert the realms of her presence," Loki seethed, trying to calm down before he caused a war between worlds… again.

"You must admit, it was more diplomatic than simply breaking into this palace and stealing what he wants. This way he gets the girl fairly and none can stop him."

"Yeah, he's always been a diplomat," Maisy grunted, crossing her arms.

"And remind me how this related to the Krylorian princess allegedly murdering Die-An?"

"Let's think about this logically," Melantha said, "If you are capable of such a thing."

"Keep talking before I _really_ get mad, elf."

"What place does a tiny planet like Krylor have in such a huge competition? Why would they care about the affairs of Asgard?"

"They had a princess of marrying age," Loki said, "They saw an opportunity for more power and they took it."

"They have a princess who has done terribly so far," Melantha pointed out, "If she is truly here to win you then she had to do something to rise up on the scoreboard, didn't she?"

"You're suggesting she poisoned Die-An and Tzefira so that she can move up in the game?" Maisy gasped.

"It would leave only four and she seems certain that she can beat you. All she would have to do is take third. Loki is not going to pick Blaze and he is not going to pick me and everyone knows this. Aoiba would get exactly what she came for," Melantha said it so calmly and clearly that Loki began to believe her, "But I think that is only part of the reason she's done this."

"And the other part?"

"I am still researching that," Melantha replied long dark finger tracing a pattern on the table. They could see the pattern glow red for a time before it disappeared. Loki was surprised at this because he knew the rune she'd drawn. It was meant to protect from harmful spells being cast at the occupants of the room.

"And why have you told us all of this?" He asked.

"Because out of all the people in this palace I know you will at least do something about it and not chalk this up to some dastardly plan that I've concocted," the queen shrugged elegantly, "Besides, this does not seem like it will affect me or my people. As a sort of peace offering between us I thought I would warn someone who it does affect."

"And you want nothing in return?"

"I don't suppose they trusted you with the information as to where the Aether is?" She grinned at him and cut him off before he could respond, "I know. You wouldn't tell me if you did know. And I honestly wouldn't want you to."

"No?"

"As much as I respected Malekith, I always thought him a fool for trying to control an Infinity Stone," she gave him such a sly look that he wondered what exactly her spies had gathered about him, "You know better than most what dangers come with wielding the Stones."

"I'm sorry, what are we talking about?" Maisy asked.

"Back on topic," Loki dismissed the Infinity Stones, not wanting her to get involved with something so powerful and dangerous, "Are you expecting Tzefira to die of poison as well?"

"I won't be surprised if she does. After all, Aoiba has no reason to save her and the healers are still treating it as a disease. They don't know what antidote to give her."

"Excuse me as I go and tell the healers to test Tzefira's blood for poison," Loki started to stand, "That ought to solve one of our problems."

"You might tell them to check Aoiba's too… that should out her scheme more quickly than my spies," Melantha rose as well to nod to him and then sat down, "While you are gone I think this Midgardian will tell me exactly what led to her being here."

"Maisy," Loki said looking to the woman, "Be careful of what you say. Who knows what this vile elf has planned?"

"No one knows," Melantha smiled, "Half the time even I do not know."

"Of course I'll be careful," Maisy said, "Now go save Tzefira!"

Loki nodded and left. As soon as he closed the door behind him he wondered if he'd ever see Maisy alive again. Melantha had no reason to kill her except to spite him, but he did not trust the elf. Even if she was helping them.

He set a double of himself outside the door that would keep an eye and ear out for what was going on in the room. If something happened Loki would know about it immediately.

 **A note from the author: I didn't want to kill any characters, but sometimes it just happens, you know? Sorry about that.**

 **I know it's sort of frowned upon to be proud of one's own OCs, but Norns I really like Melantha. I almost want to write a whole other story about her, but I don't know how that would work. So we'll have to be satisfied with the contents of this story and... the sequel. Anyway, I think a really good "theme song" for Melantha is** ** _you should see me in a crown_** **by Billie Eilish. It just came out recently I believe and I cannot stop listening to it. Be warned, if you are an** **arachnophobe then you probably shouldn't watch the video that accompanies the music.**

 **Thank you so much for reading this chapter! I am glad to have such amazing readers! And, as per usual, a huge thank you to those who reviewed: CheetahLover, Ceres Friggadottir, ferbette, and Eliza. Even if more of your reviews were just exclamations** **of confusion and possibly sadness I still appreciated them! ;)**


	77. Chapter 77

"And so now I'm just trying to win this thing so that I don't get dragged to wherever the hell Muspelheim is," Maisy finished telling an abridged version of her story to the Queen of the Dark Elves. It had been a long, sad day and Maisy was doing her best to hold back tears at this point because how embarrassing would it be to cry in front of Melantha? She wiped her drippy nose on her sleeve and took a deep breath, looking over to her audience. The queen had been quiet the entire time and she still looked like she was stewing over the information.

"A lindworm?"

"Yeah. Scariest thing I've ever seen in my life."

"What a sheltered life you must lead," Melantha gave the half smile that Maisy was getting used to by this point, "And if you did not go with Egil and you did not win, what would Odin do with you?"

"I have no idea. I don't think that's really an option, is it?"

"The letter you showed me said Muspelheim may lay claim to you if Blaze is victorious," Melantha tapped the letter that lay before her, "It also says they get you _when_ you lose, which implies last place. We need only ensure that you do not loose or that Blaze does not win. Either of which should be easy enough."

"I think you are forgetting that I'm last place and that we think Aoiba is murdering people," Maisy pointed out.

"If you cannot rise to triumph on your own I will simply lose," Melantha shrugged, "But it is preferred that you win lest they declare that anyone who does not get first is technically a loser."

"You'd give up the competition for me?"

"It isn't as if I want to win."

"Thank you, that's really kind of you."

"I expect an invitation to the wedding," Melantha said, "And to the christening of your first child."

"Child?!" Maisy sputtered.

"Oh come now, Midgardian, it is obvious that you are quite taken with the trickster and I doubt he has ever cared for anyone - save his mother - as much as he cares for you. It is so painfully obvious when you two are in the same room," the queen chuckled, "I'm surprised none of the others have noticed the way you gaze at each other."

"We're just friends!" Maisy assured with a nervous laugh.

"Currently, yes, because neither of you is brave enough to admit to your feelings."

"Can we talk about something else? Like, hey! You said you know where my mom is-"

"I will not drop the topic until you admit it at least to yourself."

"Your Majesty, why do you even care?"

"Because I am a romantic at heart," Melantha burst out laughing, as in, an actual laugh, "That's hardly believable, is it? Sorry. I care because I find it vastly entertaining. Besides, as I said earlier, relationships are weakness."

"Yeah…?"

"And I want the man who murdered my father to have as many weaknesses as possible," Melantha smiled, showing all of her pearly whites, "So go ahead. Tell me how you feel about him."

Maisy rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair.

"Alright, fine. But you'd better not kill me in the future to get back at him for something."

"No promises."

"I… I've been finding myself more and more drawn to him," Maisy felt that she was allowing herself to admit this for the first time and an enormous pressure lifted from her chest, "Part of me thinks it's just psychological because we're 'married' and so logically we should be in love, right?"

"I suppose."

"But also," she couldn't prevent the dreamy smile that took over her whole face, try as she might, "I feel like we just understand each other, you know? And _most_ of the time I get really excited when I see him, unless he's got that insufferable scheming look in his eyes."

Except she loved that look. She loved how it signaled that everyone else in the room was about to be floored by whatever mess he'd concocted. Even when she was the one who was getting tricked - after the fact of course.

"Infatuation, perhaps?" Melantha suggested.

"Could be," Maisy sighed, almost hoping it was not a temporary feeling, "And that's why I haven't said anything. What if it's just a crush sort of thing and then we get sick of each other later? And we're going to be stuck together for life!"

"You think you could last long as simple friends? One or both of you would get frustrated. There would be fights as friends. And there would be fights if you became romantically attached," Melantha's words sounded like they could be kind, but her regal expression never changed as if she wasn't invested in this conversation beyond passing curiosity, "You think the most perfect marriages of history have gone without fights? Everyone fights. It is how you both handle the conflict that defines your relationship."

"You ever been married?"

"No."

"Egil and I," Maisy rested her chin in her hands, "I thought we'd be forever. We were at the point where I wondered if he was going to propose."

"Luckily for you, you are well past the engagement phase with Loki so that part is already decided for you," Melantha chuckled, "And you've known him for what? Three months now?"

"Little bit more," Maisy nodded.

"You must know each other fairly well."

"Yeah we do. I think. At least, I feel like we do."

"And if you are to be together forever then you have plenty of time to get to know one another really well. You probably have about seventy years left in you, provided Asgard shares its medicine with you. I'm sure you and he will fall in and out of love many times over that amount of time."

Maisy hadn't thought about it like that, but she supposed if a person could fall in love with a person once then they could fall out and back in love. It happened in movies all the time, didn't it? Old lovers, former spouses, high school sweethearts long apart. Why not two people who were forced to be married to each other?

"So are you saying I should tell him how I feel?"

"Do you even know how you feel?"

"I'm not sure."

"And, as I said, I do not care overmuch about your decision," Melantha stood, "I believe the dinner feast is starting soon. I shall see you there."

"Oh," Maisy was nodding without paying attention, "Okay."

"Norns," Melantha rolled her eyes, "Tell him you love him. See what happens - ah, but perhaps wait until the end of Taka af Brúðr. If Aoiba is truly a fiend I would rather have both of you sound of mind to deal with the repercussions, hmm?"

"Course."

"Good evening, Ms. Sichore."

"Uh huh."

Melantha left and Maisy slumped in her seat. She also left her with a huge decision to make and feelings to examine until her head spun. And probably another sleepless night trying to figure out this whole business. Still, it felt wonderful to have said some of her thoughts aloud.

* * *

Loki had been watching the healers take and test Tzefira's blood, wanting to know right away if there was a trace of poison. He was so focused on watching the process that he was startled when the double he'd left by his chamber door tugged at his consciousness.

Afraid that Melantha had done something to Maisy, he quickly threw his mind into the double to investigate. Luckily, Maisy was perfectly fine. Unluckily, he tuned in to a conversation he was fairly certain was not meant to be heard by him. Not that that stopped him from eavesdropping. The double moved closer to the door for better range and listened in.

"... _logically we should be in love, right?"_

That was Maisy's voice, but who was she talking about being in love with? And why in the nine realms would she be discussing such a subject with Melantha of all people? Loki wished he could be in the room, but there was no way to do that without alerting one or both of them to his presence. He shook his illusion head and listened in again.

" _But also, I feel like we just understand each other, you know? And most of the time I get really excited when I see him, unless he's got that insufferable scheming look in his eyes."_

Sweet Norns they were speaking of him. This was definitely not something he should be listening in on. He needed to back away quickly and get his consciousness and his double out of there as soon as possible before he heard more than he was meant to. Or worse, before he was caught.

Damn, but now they were pondering if it could simple infatuation and Loki himself had been debating the same issue and now he had his double's ear pressed against the door - not that it would help much. This was a terrible idea. He shouldn't eavesdrop. He should let Maisy tell him what she thought of him in her own time, but blast it all to Helheim he wanted to know _now_.

Melantha brought up several good points and Loki began to be convinced that he should make the first move and just sweep Maisy off her feet. The more he listened to this conversation the more it dawned on him that he didn't just want Maisy to win because he was used to her. He wanted her to win because he didn't want her to leave. As weak as this behavior might have been and as sudden as he might have realized it, now he couldn't scrape the idea from his head. He wanted to hold her and press his lips to hers. Blast. This wasn't good.

" _You must know each other fairly well."_ Melantha was saying.

" _Yeah we do. I think. At least, I feel like we do."_

"Damn right we do," Loki muttered to himself. Although, now that he was thinking of it, maybe he didn't know as much about her as he should. Rather than discourage him as he might have hoped this thought did, it only fueled the idea to get to know her more.

Then Melantha was saying something about how they'd probably fall in and out of love and he realized that it was true and it must have been true of many relationships. After all, a saint like Frigga couldn't have possibly felt love for _Odin_ every moment of their marriage. That hadn't stopped her from loving him over all though, just because her feelings might have changed. Even if Loki and Maisy fell apart for a year or two they could always put themselves together again.

The Dark Elf queen, of all people, was doing an incredible job of convincing Loki that Maisy _had_ to win so he could spend the rest of forever getting to know her. He cursed himself for falling so quickly. This was ridiculous. Yesterday he'd only been half distracted by how sweet and determined Maisy was, but today he couldn't stop thinking about the way she told people (like Blaze) off and how she'd cried for Die-An and how she had tried to protect even a vile creature like Melantha from him and how she was probably wrinkling her nose right now in thought and - damn he needed to stop. He needed to get his lovesick consciousness away from this right now. Right… now. Okay, _now_. And yet he still lingered by the door.

Now Melantha was trying to convince Maisy to tell him how she felt, but wait until after Taka af Brúðr so they could handle Aoiba. Loki silently agreed, but wished he could throw open the door right this moment and take Maisy into his arms. Of course, the illusion couldn't really open the door… or take anyone into its arms. And Loki would have to act like he had heard none of this or else Maisy would probably accuse him of invading her privacy, which he totally was doing. And then they'd be back to where they were before. Neither with the guts to admit how they felt.

He was caught up in this thought so much so that he barely noticed the doorknob turning. The door opened, revealing Melantha right as Loki had the sense to vanish. If anyone had asked her, Melantha would have sworn that she'd seen a haunting smirk floating in the hallway, but no one asked and she didn't bring it up.

Loki's body shuddered slightly as his consciousness popped back into it and he shook his head to settle his thoughts. Looking around, he noticed that the healers were almost done running the tests on Tzefira and Aoiba's blood. Romantic thoughts of any kind would simply have to wait until after they had this business settled.

 **A note from the author: After all of the excitement we've had I'd say we're due for a bit of romantic hopefulness, hmm? I hope you enjoyed this ridiculous pair coming to terms with their feelings! :)**

 **Thank you so much to everyone who is reading! I'm glad you find it entertaining!**

 **And a MASSIVE thanks to everyone who reviewed: ferbette (I think Melantha and Loki would probably be best buds if things were different lol), Ceres Friggadottir (you said it! I love characters like that. I wish I was cool enough to be mysterious and powerful), yellowroseofthenw (awwww! That review made me so happy! I try my best, thank you for noticing!), darkangelynn5 (good guessing!), and CheetahLover (I like mysteries too! This is the first one that I've actually been able to write well and be happy with, so that's fun). All of you are so kind with your words and I am thrilled to have such amazing, responsive readers! :D**


	78. Chapter 78

Linn knocked on the door and put on her best cheerful smile. She was a firm believer that a smiling face could greatly aid the healing process and after the somber farewell to the Kree the previous morning, it seemed everyone could use a smile. So, the laundress had made her rounds with a grin plastered on her face and kind words to everyone.

When the Krylorian ambassador opened the door to Aoiba's room he scowled at the sight of her. In response Linn turned up the happiness of her smile. She knew the entourage from her father's home hated her. When they'd first seen her walking the halls they had jumped and questioned her about what she was doing in Asgard. She'd calmly explained it to them and when they'd ordered her to come back to their rooms for a "debriefing" she'd less calmly told them to shove off and forget it. In less kind words she'd also told them that just because she was half Krylorian it did not mean she was doing any sort of spying for them. They hadn't liked that.

Still, she could get along with them while their poor sweet princess was sick. With Die-An gone Linn was now worried that Tzefira and Aoiba would be next. The thing that terrified her though, was that this illness might be contagious. And Maisy and Loki spent an awful lot of time with the sick girls. What if they were already infected? What if they _died_? She couldn't lose her friends. She'd make Odin do something to save them. She'd bargain with those Norn things that Loki always talked about if she had to. Fate would not be taking her friends any time soon. Or so she hoped.

"What do you want?" The ambassador snapped at Linn.

"I brought the princess more towels. Fought she might need them if she'd frowing up anyfing like poor Die-An did."

The man grabbed the towels and then slammed the door. Linn's smile finally dropped and she stuck out her tongue. She spun around to get back to work and she bumped into a solid, chest

"Oof!" The laundress looked up and immediately was smiling again,"Sorry, Bjorn!"

Her guard friend wasn't smiling back, which was a bad sign.

"Excuse me, Linn," he said, gently nudging her out of the way. She moved and watched as he knocked on the door. The ambassador threw the door open with an even more menacing scowl until he saw that one of the palace guards (and not a pestering laundress) stood there.

"What is it?"

"The Allfather has summoned Princess Aoiba to the Great Hall."

"She cannot come. She is ill."

"My orders are to bring her even if I have to drag her," Bjorn was doing his tough guy voice and it made Linn smirk a little. He was a total pushover and how he got into the royal guard was beyond her.

"She will be ready in a moment," the ambassador closed the door and there wa incomprehensible shouting from inside the room. What Linn could hear she was pretty sure was in Krylorian. Then everything went silent and remained that way for a few minutes before Bjorn knocked on the door again. There was no answer.

"Stand back," Bjorn threw his shoulder into the door and it crashed to the ground. Linn peeked into the chambers as Bjorn shouted for someone to halt and she spotted Aoiba trying to climb out the window. No idea where she was going to go, as there wasn't much but down from here. A long, long way down.

Linn stepped aside as Bjorn shouted for help and two more guards rushed into the room. Eventually, they yanked Aoiba from her room - kicking and screaming about her illness - and started to haul her away. Linn's eyes were wide as she watched and she wondered what in the nine realms was going on.

Knowing where she could find an answer, she forgot about work and started making her way to Loki and Maisy's room. Even if they weren't there they'd come back eventually and then they could answer her questions.

 **A note from the author: I apologize for the shortness. I will try to post the next chapter (which is quite long) tonight.**

 **Thank you for reading and a special thanks to my marvelous reviewers: CheetahLover, ferbette, darkangelynn5, yellowroseofthenw, Phoenix86710, and the guest revieiwer! You guys make me blush. :)**


	79. Chapter 79

Loki quite liked the fact that he and Thor were standing equally on either side of Odin's throne. Of course, Thor was on the right - a higher honor - but Loki wasn't complaining… out loud. He watched with grim satisfaction as two guards pulled the struggling Krylorian princess into the Great Hall with her entourage dashing nervously behind them. It was rather fun to be on the sentencing side of a trial for once. Of course, he'd never have been undignified enough to actually make the guards drag him, but the paralel he was drawing still made him smirk.

"You barbarians!" Aoiba shrieked, "I am dying and you have the audacity to remove me from my sick bed? If I die it will be because of you and then Krylor will send its army here to avenge me!"

"She is much more interesting when she's screaming than when she's wooing," Loki whispered and Thor chuckled slightly. Odin's fingers drummed in distaste of Loki's humor so he fell silent.

"Put her down," the Allfather commanded. Aoiba was dropped and she took her sweet time picking herself up and dusting off her shirt. She gave one of the guards - the one that had a crush on Linn - a kick in the shin and then turned to Odin with rage in her eyes.

"What is it that you want, Odin? And why could you have not brought it up with my parents before dragging me out here in such an uncivilized manner?!"

"Your parents went back to Krylor on Sunday and you know it," Thor said.

"I wasn't asking you, blondy!"

"So venomous!" Loki said with a laugh, "Where was this Aoiba when I was falling asleep hearing about the weather in Krylor?"

"Silence."

Everyone fell quiet as Odin stood and glared down at the princess.

"Princess Aoiba of Krylor," the Allfather began, "We have brought you here to discuss the blood test that was done."

"Oh? Did they find out what is wrong with me and Tzefira? Can they cure it?"

"The problem has been located in Tzefira's blood," Odin said, "But my healers found nothing wrong with your blood."

"Really?" Aoiba was calming down now, putting on a perfect mask, "How peculiar. Perhaps my illness is not of the same variety."

"I am positive that it is not," Odin took a step down the stairs, closer to the princess, "Tzefira Softbreeze lies dying because she has been poisoned."

"No!"

"The poison they have found in her system is one so rare that no one truly knows where it comes from," the king sent such a glare that it brought flashbacks of the trial Loki endured, "But my best healer speculates that it comes from a plant in the Andromeda Galaxy."

"Xandar does have quite a few peculiar plants. While visiting, I once even saw a tree walking about!" Aoiba chuckled amiably, "Though I do not think that particular tree was native to the planet."

"I contacted the officials on Xandar last night. Their most knowledgeable botanist and she knew nothing of this poison."

"Hmm, perhaps Kakaranthara then? It is such a deadly environment that I wouldn't be the least surprised."

"Not Kakaranthara either," Odin took another step toward her and she staggered backward, pleasant smile still in place, "Though they were less accommodating in giving information."

"Skrullos?"

"No."

"Ah! Silly me, I know exactly where it is from!" The princess laughed airily, "Klyntar! Obviously! It is full of unknown species and would be the perfect-"

"Not Klyntar. We have records of their species here."

" _Really?_ A planet no one else has ever charted and you have information on it?"

"Asgard is the Realm Eternal."

"Kallu might be the owner of such a poison then?"

"That planet is mostly frozen. No plants grow well there."

"Pettoco?"

"No."

"Aks'lo?"

"No."

With each planet crossed off the list Aoiba's smile wavered a little more.

"Ah! It must be Satriani, they are-"

"Stop your foolish guesses, girl," Odin snapped and it felt as if the whole room flinched, "The only planet from the Andromeda Galaxy with any motive or means to get a poison here is Krylor. Even if it did not originate there, the poison could not have been brought by any other."

"I don't know, that Melantha, she seems to have ulterior motives if you ask," she squeaked out the end of the sentence as Odin was only about a foot away from her: "Me!"

"Melantha is not the guilty party," Odin said and Loki wondered for a moment if perhaps the Dark Elf queen _did_ have a hand in this. She was smart enough to point the blame elsewhere. But she had nothing to gain from it all and everything to lose if she was caught. He might have hated her, but he knew she was too clever for that.

"Nor am I!" Aoiba was fully cowering now, "What could possibly drive me to poison my fellow contestants?! We may not always like each other but I am no murderer!"

"Answer me this, child," Odin said, "Why are you here?"

"T-to win Prince Loki's hand," Aoiba replied.

"And would that not be easier if the competitors were out of the way?"

"If that were the case wouldn't Maisy Sichore be a more likely poisoner suspect? She is in dead last and she has more to lose what with Muspelheim wanting to take her."

"The poison comes from the Andromeda Galaxy," Odin reminded, "Midgardians do not yet possess the ability to travel that far and she has not left Asgard since arriving here."

Loki could hardly believe Odin was defending Maisy rather than entertaining the idea of her being the culprit. He glanced at Thor and he seemed slightly surprised by this as well.

"I wouldn't do such a thing just to win a man who clearly doesn't want me," there was hurt in her words and she threw a sad look in Loki's direction. He couldn't find it in himself to be moved.

"People have done worse for power," Odin said, "And if that were not your motive I believe I have uncovered what it is."

Loki and Thor looked at each other again. Thor was fully filled in on what they knew about this situation, but neither of them knew that Odin had done his own research on the subject.

"Do you deny that you have been communicating with Muspelheim?"

"Of course I deny it! They are all lunatics!"

"And yet Egil Belison has delivered letters to me that you meant to send to Surtur."

"W-what?" Aoiba's pink face paled so much that she nearly shared a skin tone with Maisy, "No. They aren't mine."

"He says that you entrusted them to one of his men with instructions to deliver it to Surtur via fireplace magic. You also instructed the man to keep the letters from Belison," Odin took a step forward as Aoiba took another back. Pretty soon she'd run out of Great Hall and back out the door, "Do you deny these reports?"

Loki's mind was working quickly, but not quickly enough to process why the hell Egil would have told Odin anything. Egil Belison was no friend of Asgard and yet there he was helping them solve a murder. None of this made sense.

"I…" Aoiba looked around the room frantically and then finally straightened up, "Alright. I admit it. I was communicating with Lord Surtur."

"I thought as much."

"And since your stupid Gatekeeper will probably figure it out eventually, I might as well tell you that I poisoned Tzefira and that insufferable Die-An."

"Tell me why." Odin demanded.

"Lord Surtur did not want Maisy Sichore to lose and come back to his realm."

"Plot twist," Loki muttered quietly, brow raised. Thor nodded his agreement.

"Why is that? Did he not give his blessing to Egil Belison to bring her back?"

"Yes, because he didn't want to start another quarrel with his favorite lieutenant," Aoiba relaxed a little now that truth was out, "He told Egil that he could have her if Blaze won and Maisy lost, but he did not approve of Egil's fascination with a Terran or Midgardian or Earthen or whatever she is."

"Surtur hired you to stop Maisy from going with Egil to Muspelheim," Odin concluded.

"He did not _hire_ me," Aoiba spat, "He first tried to convince me that I would become part of the Asgardian royal family if I went through with the plan and that he would somehow get Loki on the throne."

Thor spun to look at Loki with a furious expression and Odin slowly turned to do the same. Loki put his hands up peaceably.

"Wasn't my idea. I don't even know Surtur."

"But Surtur knows you," Aoiba said, "And he thinks the surest way to start Ragnarok - whatever that is - is to put you on the throne."

"How insulting," Loki grumbled.

"I told him I didn't care," Aoiba said, "I had a betrothed back home anyway."

"So how did he get you to do it?"

"He stole my younger brother! Threatened to keep him in Muspelheim forever if Egil succeeded in bring Maisy home with him! What was I supposed to do?"

"Why would you try and kill your competitors? You've made it easier for Blaze to win!" Loki probed, "And if she wins then Maisy goes with Egil."

"I thought that if Maisy were to make it into the top three then you could choose her and override that. That's why I had to get rid of Tzefira and Die-An. They were your only other probable options and with them gone then you had two you hated left and Maisy. I expected you to cheat somehow and get Maisy into the champion position!"

"You still murdered Captain Die-An," Odin said fiercely, "And we are without antidote so you may have murdered Tzefira as well. I hope you realize what a mess you've put Krylor in. The Kree and the Light Elves are not people that a weak planet such as yours should pick fights with."

"Father, perhaps she has the antidote?" Thor suggested.

"I do not," Aoiba shook her head glumly, "I did not want to be tempted to back out."

"Had you told Asgard what Surtur had done we would have aided you in retrieving your brother," Thor said sternly. Loki disagreed. Odin did not want to cause anymore trouble with the fabled instigator of Ragnarok than he had to. He would have left the boy in the monster's care.

"And what allyship has Asgard ever shown to Krylor?" Aoiba said and Loki thought he saw a glimmer of tears in her eyes, "Before this competition what proof did we even have that you existed? Asgard was far too aloof and far distant to even be an option."

Odin was silent and Thor was as well. Loki refrained from mentioning that Krylor must have been monitoring Asgard somewhat to care if the _second_ son was wooing someone. Now was not the time to bring it up.

"Prince Thor," Aoiba turned to the blond, "Had it been your brother stolen from you, would you not have done anything and everything to see him returned safely?"

Loki wondered that too. Thor had always been too naively caring for his sibling. Would he have poisoned and schemed to get Loki back if he'd been taken?

"I would have asked for help from those experienced with Surtur," Thor replied harshly, "I would never have let it get far enough that an innocent had to die."

"She was hardly innocent," Aoiba whispered and then turned to Loki, "And you? Had Thor been taken?"

"Oh certainly," Loki replied off handedly and Thor gaped at him, "If I was offered a position of power and the opportunity to have a bit of fun. Getting Thor returned safely would be a bonus."

"Silence," Odin snapped and Loki smiled, glad to have irritated the king.

"What will you do with me?" Aoiba asked, sticking out her chin defiantly.

"Until I have had the chance to negotiate with your parents you will stay in our dungeon," Odin said, turning back to walk up to his throne, "We will provide you with comforts that other prisoners do not get, but you _will_ stay in the dungeon."

"Please," the princess fell to her knees, "Please just make sure Egil Belison does not take that damned Terran back with him. Surtur will kill my brother if he does. Or worse, keep him as one of his pets!"

"I will not make any promises until I have spoken with your parents," Odin waved his hand at the guards and they moved to take Aoiba away, "That is final."

The king of Asgard dismissed them all as he went up to his throne and sat down. Thor and Loki both took this as their cue to go and discuss the day between themselves. They descended the steps, but before they got far Odin's voice was heard once more.

"Loki."

With a quick grimace that he changed into a pleasant smile, Loki turned to meet the man he once called "father".

"Yes?"

"You could have kept her plot to yourself."

"I could have."

"Had you, then she would have ensured that the one you favor would stay with you."

"It would have," Loki knew that Odin did not like to ask questions. He seemed to think that asking for information made him look oblivious to a fact, which couldn't be, obviously. Since he was in a good mood, Loki decided to make Odin ask for the information he so clearly wanted.

"Then why did you inform me of what she was up to?"

"I did not know the extent of her plan," Loki admitted, "All I knew was that she was poisoning people and that I lost a friend in Die-An. Aoiba was an unpredictable threat to Asgard, and regardless of what you may _believe_ , I have never stopped loving my home, even if I no longer care for some of those who live here."

"I do not believe that simple answer," Odin said and then wearily wave him on, "But I will accept it for now. Go."

"My pleasure."

Loki practically bounded down the rest of the stairs and nearly skipped from the room he was in such a good mood. They'd stopped Aoiba from murdering anyone else - pity they had no way to fix Tzefira - and with that out of the way perhaps he could coax Maisy to tell him what she'd told Melantha. With as light of a heart as he had in that moment he didn't care if she admitted her feelings first, he felt that he could kiss her and celebrate their soon to be victory. Aoiba was out of the competition, Tzefira would be dead soon, and that just left Svartalfheim, Muspelheim, and Midgard. And he could choose Midgard even if the other two were offended.

Once he had Maisy secured then they could go back to squabbling over adorably petty things while getting to know one another and falling in love. Petty things like if Linn was old enough to have a suitor, or if Maisy was allowed to make the drapes into clothing, or how best to cover up a sunburn.

A sunburn.

A blueish sunburn. Blue like Loki's true coloring. Something Maisy still knew nothing about.

Loki stopped in his tracks in the middle of the corridor. His fists clenched and he realized that in all of the madness going on he hadn't thought about his heritage and he certainly hadn't thought about telling any of the contestants about it - not even Maisy.

And all she knew about Frost Giants was that he'd killed many of them because they were vicious brutes. She might have been able to get past the fact that he'd caused many deaths on her home world, but how would she feel when she saw him for the monster he truly was?

As he was considering this, standing in the hallway, Thor came up behind him and clapped a hand on his shoulder. Loki almost fell over with the force of the gesture.

"Brother! A victory today!"

"Except for Tzefira…"

"Yes… well, I'm sure the healers will find a way to save her," Thor's expression soured a moment, but quickly cheered up again, "And when they do we will have more reason to celebrate!"

"Thor, we needn't celebrate everything."

"Alright, we won't celebrate _that_ now, but what of you doing the right thing by telling Father what was going on? Surely that calls for at least three drinks apiece, doesn't it?"

"I suppose a drink does sound rather good right now," Loki rubbed his forehead, "A _strong_ drink, Thor, I need a strong drink."

"Woes to drown?"

"Yes, but drop that curious look because you shan't hear of them."

"Until you are good and tipsy, that is!" Thor laughed and Loki reluctantly followed him to a tavern, ready to put off his crushed euphoria until later. Perhaps he would think of a creative solution to his Maisy problem while he was drunk.

 **A note from the author: I know it's been a bit since I updated last, and I apologize for that! I've been a tad busy... and when I'm not busy I've been more than a tad lazy. Hopefully this** **humongous chapter will satisfy you for a while. :)**

 **Thank you so, so, so much for reading you lovely people! And, as always, a truck load of thanks to those who reviewed: CheetahLover, Ceres Friggadottir, and ferbette! You are wonderful human beings and I love you. ;)**

 **Until next time!**


	80. Chapter 80

Linn and Maisy waited around for Loki to tell them the verdict on whether Aoiba was guilty or not, but he didn't come back home for hours. When he did, he came with Thor and the two of them were holding each other up and chuckling nonstop. Thor tripped on the doorframe and face planted onto the floor.

"Oooh hoo hoo!" Loki kicked his brother, "Clumssssy oaf!"

"Love you, bruder!" Thor called from the floor with a content sigh, "And I love beer."

"You've had a bit..." Loki showed the size with his fingers, "Too much."

Thor didn't respond with anything more than a loud snore and Loki laughed. The still standing brother looked up with a wry grin and spotted Maisy and Linn, who were watching him with wide eyes from their seat on the bed. Maisy had been braiding short tufts of hair on Linn's head and now the girl looked rather like a hedgehog.

"Hey," Maisy said, "What happened to you two?"

"Drink," Loki replied coming over and flopping onto the bed. He rolled over and looked up at the ceiling, rubbing his forehead, "Drink happened."

"Are you okay?"

"Tomorrow's not gonna be fun," Loki slurred, turning on his side to look at them. His eyes didn't focus very well and Linn giggled.

"He's totally hammered!" The laundress said.

"No, no!" Loki waved his hand, "Thor's the one with the hammer."

Linn snorted with laughter and Loki joined her.

"We'll ask him in the morning about what happened with Aoiba," Maisy couldn't help laughing a bit. She'd never seen him so undignified and it was ridiculous, "If you see any of the guards in the hall could you ask them to come take care of Thor, please? I don't think we'll be able to drag him ourselves and Loki's not good for much at the moment."

"I'm _not_ good," Loki agreed and then laughed, "I'm the villainy scum!"

"Right," Maisy laughed as she and Linn got off the bed and examined the god of thunder, "Sheesh, Jane was right about the snoring."

"I'll get Bjorn. He'll probably be able to help."

Linn left, returned a few minutes later with a pair of guards - one of which was her friend Bjorn - and they hauled the heir of Asgard out of the room.

"Good night, ma'am!" Bjorn called. Maisy tried not to roll her eyes at being called "ma'am" and shut the door behind them.

"He's an oaf," Loki laughed, staring at the ceiling from the mattress, "Utter oaf."

"Who? The guard or Thor?"

"Belly-boy! Smelly-son," the man was laughing in a manner that somewhat reminded Maisy of the Joker, "Old Eagle-eye Smelly-son, what an oaf!"

"I think you need to drink some water and go to bed," Maisy couldn't help smiling at the drunken antics, she stepped over to the table, which had a pitcher of water on it and pour a glass. She jumped and spilled water all over the place when two hands landed on her waist.

"You know why hesa oaf?" Loki slurred, his lips brushing her ear. She shuddered and wished he wasn't drunk. Or maybe not. If he was sober and doing this she might just have turned around and kissed him. And she wasn't sure if that was something they could recover from quickly.

"Do tell," she set the pitcher down.

"Because he let you go," Loki laughed against her ear and his fingers left her hips and brushed her hair back, "What an imbecile!" He nuzzled his nose against her neck, "I'd never to anything to make you hate me. Smelly-son is an idiot."

"Okay," Maisy stepped to the side and offered him the water, "Drink this. It will make your inevitable hangover hurt less."

Loki grabbed the cup and downed it in one gulp, he tossed the glass over his shoulder and it smashed against his wardrobe. Maisy winced.

"Hey, calm down," she said, "No need to break stuff."

"Why?" He chuckled darkly and for a moment his eyes focused on hers and he looked completely sober and somewhat terrifying, "Afraid I'll break you?"

"I think it's time for you to go to bed," she went over and pulled the blankets back and then patted the mattress, "Alright, in you go."

"I…" he looked blearily at the bed and then at her, "I want you to join me."

"Nope, you need sleep. C'mon."

"Maissssy," Loki stumbled over to her and took her hand, "There wasssomething important I wanted to tell you."

"Well I don't really want to hear it while you're drunk," even though she did. She wanted him to tell her whatever it was and she wanted to tell him what she'd been thinking about, but there was no way she was going to while he was slurring his words and his breath smelled strongly of alcohol.

"You are no fun," he laughed and leaned forward, lips outstretched slightly. He aimed for her lips but she moved and he missed entirely anyway, causing him to kiss right near her ear. She tried to laugh off the pleasant chill that ran through her as she gave him a light push and he fell back into bed.

"Good night, Loki," she said.

"You aren't as pretty as Sssssifffff," Loki commented, his eyes drooping, "But you look like, like… pulchritudinous."

"I don't even know what that means," Maisy found herself pulling the blanket back up to cover him, "But I hope it's something nice."

"I enjoy you a _lot_ more that Ssssssifffff."

"Thanks?"

"Good night, my lady," he yawned, "My lady, my darling, my wife."

"Good night."

Maisy rolled her eyes and turned down the lights. She grabbed her nightgown and went into the bathroom to change into it. When she came back out he was snoring and she went to sleep in her nest.

 **A note from the author: As you can probably tell, this one doesn't do much to advance the plot... but it was so much fun to write. I hope you had fun reading it! :)**

 **Thank you so much for reading! I'm so glad to have awesome readers like you! And a special thanks to those of you who reviewed: Eliza (to answer your question: uh, because I didn't think of that... ssssshhhh, let's keep this between us), ferbette (oh believe me, he's going to regret some things when he wakes up), Ceres Friggadottir (thank you, sorry I just** ** _feel_** **like since I have the story all the way written that I just need to post it as quickly as possible, but I always forget how long it takes to go back and do a final read through and then get it posted on here and write and authors note and everything lol, so then I feel a mite discouraged, but I forget that I'm probably a much more frequent updater than most people), darkangelynn5 (hope Loki drunk off his ass was satisfactorily humorous ;)), and CheetahLover (Loki always finds a way!). You guys are fabulous! :)**

 **TTFN!**


	81. Chapter 81

That was it. Not one drop of anything stronger than water ever, ever, ever again. Not if his head felt this way the next day. Honestly, he could not remember ever having such a bad hangover. Perhaps that was because he could not recall a time when he'd gotten so drunk that he'd forgotten how he got home.

"Maisy?" He croaked, pillow thrown over his face to fend off the offensive rays of light that pounded through the still curtainless windows.

"Morning!" A cheerful voice chirped from the other side of the room and Loki groaned, "Head killing you?"

"If I ever say I am going out to drink with Thor just kill me and save me the trouble of this slow agonizing death."

"That bad, huh?"

"Can you lower your voice?"

"Lucky for you I had Linn grab some stuff from the kitchen that should help," Maisy's light footsteps sounded on the floorboards and suddenly the pillow was viciously ripped from his face… though maybe it just felt vicious because of how painful the light was.

"I'm not interested in anything apart from wallowing in comfortable darkness so take your silly Midgardian cures away," he turned over and buried his face in the mattress.

"Come on, you have to drink something to stay hydrated - at least, I assume you do. Do Asgardians get dehydrated?" She tapped his shoulder, "Keep your eyes closed and just drink this, okay? Then you can go back to bed if you want. A messenger came earlier and told us all to take the day off while Odin figures out what to do with Taka af Brúðr."

"Well I suppose he would try to think of a new scheme now that half the contestants are out," Loki kept his eyes closed, sat up (bad idea as it made him want to vomit), and accepted the glass Maisy handed him. He took a large drink before the flavor hit him, "Norns! What the hell is that?!"

"Wait, _half_ of the contestants? What happened yesterday? Is Tzefira alright?"

"Tell me what's in this and I'll tell you what happened."

"Cabbage juice and tomato juice."

"Vile," Loki gagged and then took another swig, assuming it was good for him, "Aoiba admitted to her crimes."

"Whoa."

Loki continued to give all the basic information that he'd gathered the day before. Telling her about Aoiba's brother, Surtur's plan, and how Egil had actually reported Aoiba to Odin. Then he mentioned that they didn't have an antidote for the poison and Maisy gasped.

"No! That's terrible! Isn't there _anything_ they can do?"

"Odin seemed certain that there wasn't. I'm sure the healers will be able to do more for her now that they know what is going on, but I doubt she'll pull through without some sort of miracle."

"The apple!"

"What?" Loki's eyes flicked open and he stared at her intensely. She blushed.

"First off, I'm sorry," she wrung her hands, "I saw you over by the bookcase one day and you were acting kind of suspicious. So, while you were gone I investigated and, uh, I found the secret compartment. You have one of Idunn's apples in there and I thought-"

"You looked through my things?" He snapped.

"I'm sorry!" She winced, "I know it was an awful thing to do, but I wanted to make sure it wasn't something, I don't know, bad?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know! A poison for the Avengers or something! I'm really sorry, but I just wanted to make sure it wasn't something horrible."

"Fine," Loki rubbed his forehead, "You know now."

"Would that save Tzefira?"

"What?"

"The apple? Idunn said that her special ones can heal people and stuff, right? Unless the apple you are hiding in your super secret compartment is just an ordinary apple."

"It… could save Tzefira," Loki's head hurt too much for this, "But Idunn said she wouldn't give me another for at least another century."

"Oh," Maisy gestured to the bookcase, "But can't we just give Tzefira the one in there?"

"I had meant to save that one."

"For what?"

Loki sighed and swung his legs out of bed. He gently took Maisy's hands and looked at her. Her brown eyes filled with worry for a moment and he wondered what could possibly be going through her head.

"I wanted to save it for you."

There was a long pause and Maisy went completely stiff. Her mouth opened a few times as if she had a response, but it always closed. Finally her brow furrowed and she pulled her hands away, tucking them into the pockets of her jeans.

"Me. You were saving it for me," she looked at him intently, "Why would I need it?"

"You know me with my contingencies," the corner of his mouth quirked up a bit, "I didn't trust that Odin would let you live without trouble."

"Wait, so would that permanently heal the lindworm wounds? And Odin couldn't undo it?" Maisy gaped at him, "Why haven't you said anything about it until now?"

"Well," he pulled his hair back out of his face and then looked away from her, "For one thing, it would give you a lifespan as long as an Asgardian and I wasn't sure that you wanted to be burdened with that. For another, it would have meant… that you could return home without repercussion."

"So you didn't give it to me because," she looked at him with confusion and he decided it would be best to look away again, "Because you didn't want me to go home?"

"Partly," he looked back, "But you would still have the long life to contend with. I thought because of that we ought to save if as a last resort."

"You should have at least told me about it," she accused, "Even if you are right."

"I am sorry," he said and then forced himself to ask a question he knew she'd appreciate even if it hurt his pride to say it, "Can you forgive me?"

"Yes," the kindness in her eyes made it worth it, "But we _are_ giving that apple to Tzefira, right?"

Everything logical in Loki screamed at him to say no take the apple and re-hide it until he could use it for its intended purpose. It was an easy decision, he didn't care about what happened to Tzefira and she was just another obstacle in the path to getting what he wanted. Saving the apple for Maisy meant that he could save Maisy if Odin ever had reason to kill her. It meant that if he and Maisy ever did get the guts to confess their feelings to each other he could have her for as long as he lived and not have to say goodbye after her short Midgardian life ended. He could grow old with her in a couple thousand years if that was what they wanted. And now he had Egil's vision to worry over too. If someone was meant to cause Maisy's death then perhaps the apple could prevent that.

There were so many reasons to keep Idunn's apple and so few to give it to the dying elf. But, the one reason he would go against everything he wanted was because Maisy asked him.

"Very well, if you wish it," he got up and trudged over to the bookcase. He opened the secret compartment and held out the apple to her.

"Thank you. I'm going to go give it to the healers and maybe they can help her out."

"If you do not need me to accompany you then I believe I shall go back to sleep," he watched her throw on her backpack and head for the door, "Ah... before you go there is something I'd like to know."

"Yeah?"

"Last night…" he wasn't sure that he actually wanted to know, "I was not inappropriate in any way, was I?"

"N-no," there was a lie in her eyes. Maybe just half a lie, but he'd done something that had made her uncomfortable, "You were fine. Kind of hilarious when you first came in, but you weren't really a problem."

"Liar. What did I do?"

"Nothing _major_ ," she blushed again and laughed nervously, "You were a little flirty and you broke a glass, but you were fine. Really."

He still didn't believe her, but whatever he'd done she was probably glad that he'd forgotten it so he let it go with an apology and then she left. He groaned and flopped back into bed, thinking of ways to get Idunn to give him another apple. Not much came to mind, but that could have been because his brain was screaming in pain.

* * *

The apple did the trick and when all signs of the poison cleared from Tzefira's body the Light Elf representatives all rushed at Maisy and gave her a group hug. Tzefira's mom was even crying as she took the Midgardian's face in her hands and planted a huge kiss on her forehead.

"Should you ever need anything look no further than the Air Elf tribe, my sweet girl," Tzefira's mom said, "We are in your debt, human."

"I appreciate it," Maisy smiled, "It really wasn't that big of a deal-"

"Do not minimize your actions!" The elf cried, "You saved my only daughter. I am in your debt."

"Mother, you are smothering her," Tzefira called from where she sat up in bed.

"Sorry," the tribe leader let go of Maisy's face and fluttered over to her daughter, "I just cannot believe the change in you! You will be back to your old self in no time at all!"

"Yes," Tzefira looked over to Maisy, "And that is thanks to you. I owe you a debt."

"No, no! Don't worry about it!"

"Name anything you want and I'll see that you get it," Tzefira insisted.

"No really, it's fine. I'm just glad that you didn't die!"

"And soon she will be back on her feet and back in the competition!" Tzefira's mom cooed.

"No I won't," Tzefira declared, "That will be my gift to Maisy."

"What?" Everyone in the room stared at the warrior.

"I do not even like Loki all that much. He has a dishonorable reputation anyway," Tzefira beckoned Maisy forward, "But I've seen the way you two look at each other. I don't put much faith in love - children's stuff in my opinion - but you and Loki have the look of old storybook characters."

"Tzefira, I can't ask you to give up just because of me."

"I wish to return home soon anyway," Tzefira said, "Besides, I think another moment in the presence of Melantha will be the end of both of us or the start of a war."

"Okay, if you're sure…"

"Just invite us to the wedding."

"Melantha will be there too."

"Ah, well then we'll send you a nice wedding gift and our deepest regrets that we couldn't make it," Tzefira winked, "Congratulations."

"I haven't won yet."

"But it isn't as if he will pick the Dark Elf or the girl of Muspelheim. Can you imagine anyone wanting to marry Blaze?"

"True," Maisy laughed.

"Thank you again, Ms. Sichore," Tzefira's mom said, "But I think Tzefy needs a bit of rest now."

"I do not. I've not left this bed for the last two days!"

"And you won't leave for one more!"

"See you later, Tzefira," Maisy waved and all of the elves waved cheerfully back.

Out in the corridor of the guest wing Maisy felt light and happy. She wondered if it was just because she was glad that the other woman was going to be alright or if it was because the Light Elves just had a way of making you feel joyful. Either way, she was practically skipping down the hall… that was, until a door opened and Egil stepped out.

"Maisy," he said, his voice low and his eyes fierce, "We need to talk."

"And have you try to brainwash me again? Yeah, I don't think so," the lightness she'd felt was dashed and all she could feel was a sinking feeling in her stomach, "Goodbye."

"No," he grabbed her arm and pulled her close to him, "Let me talk before you run back to that charlatan."

"Let me go," Maisy ordered, "Or I'll scream. The Light Elves will come running if you try anything."

"I hope you realize that you will be coming with me. One way or another - fair or not - I will not let you be murdered by him. I care about you too much to allow him to be the death of you."

"I am not going to Muspelheim," Maisy tried to pull away from him, but his grip on her arm was too strong, "You need to get over it. You've lost. I'm going to be in the top three!"

"The Light Elf dropped out, hmm?"

"Yes, so that leaves only Queen Melantha and Blaze."

"But you are still not the winner. Anyone who is not first is a loser, even if Loki chooses you he can't have you unless you get first. And if I'm not mistaken, you are several hundred points behind even with that masterful victory of embroidery," Egil said, "You will be coming with me."

"Then I'll beat Blaze!" Maisy declared, knowing there wasn't much chance of that, "I'll win the whole damn thing if I have to!"

"And when you fail at that you'll be coming home with me," he finally let go of her arm, "So get used to the idea now, love."

"Nice to know you believe in me," Maisy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, even though her mind was yelling at her to get out of there before he did something really crazy, "What happened to the super supportive Egil Belison I used to know?"

"I will gladly cheer you on in anything other than this," he smiled, "When we get home."

"Didn't you hear about the Aoiba thing? Your boss doesn't want me coming home with you! He'll probably kill me!"

"We won't be in Muspelheim long," he promised, "After a year or so I think we'll go back to Midgard and start over. Doesn't that sound great? You can finish grad school and we can move to Paris or Milan or London or wherever you want to go!"

"At the moment the only place I want to be is Asgard," Maisy snapped, "And the only person who I want to go back to earth with is Loki. So get over yourself."

"You'll see things my way soon enough," Egil grabbed another strand of her hair and it turned black as well. Now she had a black streak on each side of her head. With the other one she'd asked Loki if he could get rid of it, but even his magic had been unable to remove it.

"I don't think so. Now, I have training to do so if you'll excuse me," Maisy said and when he let her hair drop she started running from him. She didn't care how weak it might have made her look, she couldn't spend another moment with him.

Running until she was back in front of her door, she had to stop and take a few calming breaths before she went in. If she was panting and gasping for air Loki might think she was in trouble or something. And maybe she was, but she didn't want to make him worry or freak out while he had such a bad hangover. In accordance with this, she tried to twist her hair to hide the new black strand and pulled it back into a ponytail.

Then she opened the door and heard the sound of the shower running. She sighed and put her backpack in her nest. Then she went out onto the balcony and stared at the golden city for a while. She'd grown more attached to Asgard than she thought she would and though she wanted to go home eventually, she didn't mind being in the Realm Eternal. Even with crazy people like Odin making up the rules.

Loki stepped out of the bathroom and he spotted Maisy on the balcony, looking rather forlorn in his opinion. He wondered if she hadn't been in time to save Tzefira from the poison. That would be good because then she would still have the apple. Obviously he wouldn't tell her that this was the outcome he wanted, she'd be aghast that he cared so little for Tzefira's life.

He walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. In the past week it seemed as if the "no touching" rule had disappeared. She no longer seemed to care if he placed a hand on her.

"How did it go?"

"Great, Tzefira is fine!" Her sour expression quickly changed to sweet as she turned to look at him and he wondered if she'd been taking acting classes somehow. Her lying had gotten much better. Perhaps it was a side effect of hanging around him too much.

"Excellent, now we simply have to figure out ways to beat her in this blasted competition."

"Actually, we don't," Maisy's smile was genuine now, "She was so grateful that we'd saved her that she dropped out!"

"Are you jesting?" He asked, "There is no way someone as competitive as she-"

"She dropped out!"

"This is," he was at a loss for proper words. He wanted to give Maisy a kiss in celebration. He wanted to thank Tzefira. He wanted to express just how wonderful this news made him feel, "This is incredible! I shall tell Odin that the contest is over immediately!"

"Wait-"

"Won't he be shocked?" Loki laughed and grabbed Maisy's hands, "This is brilliant! You're in the top three and that means I can choose you!"

"Hang on," for some reason she wasn't as happy as he was about this and he wondered if she'd had second thoughts about staying here with him, "Hang on just a second."

"What?"

"Blaze is still in first," she said, "And even if I'm in third I'm still in last."

"Surely that won't matter if I choose you. And perhaps Melantha can be persuaded to give up her position as second. She has been oddly helpful of late and we all know that she doesn't exactly want to marry me."

"But Blaze is still in first. The terms were that if Blaze won then I have to go to Muspelheim. If we end the competition now then she wins and I have to go with Egil."

"Blast."

She was right. Unless they could dethrone Blaze then there were no guarantees that Egil would let Maisy stay. And considering the lead that the fiery girl had, it would take a long hard battle for Maisy to get anywhere close to catching up. It could take the year that Thor feared it would.

"Well," he leaned on the railing with her, "We'll think of something. We have time. It is just another problem to solve."

"Yeah," she agreed, nodding her head. The twist in her hair came loose and Maisy frantically tried to cover her hair, turning away from him and trying to retwist it quickly. Loki straightened up and put his hands on hers. She froze with a wince and slowly lowered her hands.

"Another black piece," Loki said calmly. Rage was bubbling inside him and he wanted to demand answers, but it wasn't Maisy that he was mad at so he didn't want to scare her.

"I ran into Egil," she admitted, "He's determined that I'll be going to Muspelheim."

"And he made his mark," Loki tried once more to turn the black piece back to green or even her natural hair color - whatever that was. It didn't budge. It was like a spill of wine on Asgardian leather (which stains like you would not believe).

"He's as bad as my dad when it comes to controlling my hair color," Maisy laughed half heartedly, "Thanks for _not_ doing that, by the way."

"I don't care what color your hair is," he couldn't resist pulling her hair hair out of the ponytail and running his fingers through it gently, "As long as it isn't bright red."

"Ha ha," she rolled her eyes, "Nah, I tried red last year. I looked less like Ariel and more like a psychotic version of the Wendy's mascot. I, uh, I think green suits me a little better."

"I am inclined to agree even though I've never seen you as a redhead. Madame Veru isn't always right about colors," he made himself stop touching her hair and turned toward the door, "I may go have a chat with Egil."

"Please don't."

"Why not?" Loki huffed, "He obviously was never taught to keep his hands to himself and I intend to remedy that."

"I don't want to waste time dealing with him," she said quietly, "If I'm going to win then I'm going to need to train more and we're going to need to plan more."

"That sounds like it will involve spending time with the Avengers."

"They might hate you, but they are helpful, you know."

"I suppose," he was still worried about whatever plans Black Widow was concocting. She might want Maisy to win, but after the competition ended Loki had no doubts that she would try everything in her power to split them apart. He wouldn't have been worried if it had been anyone but the Widow. She was the most clever Midgardian he'd ever met and he did not savor the idea of going head to head with her again.

"Let's get to it then," he motioned toward the door, "And if we happen across Egil along the way I make no promises that I won't cut his hand off."

"You know what?" She linked her arm with his, "I won't even stop you."

 **A note from the author: I give full credit for the line "it stains like you would not believe" (in regards to Asgardian leather) to How It Should Have Ended. It's a fantastic YouTube channel you should really check out if you haven't already. I particularly like their Villain Pub episodes. :)**

 **Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! We're getting closer and closer to the end, but we still have a lot to go. I'm very excited to see how everyone will react to the coming chapters!**

 **A HUGE, GIGANTIC THANK YOU to those who reviewed: Cerese Friggadottir (that's probably wise), ferbette (dang, I should have done that XD), Eliza (thank you for understanding), yellowroseofthenw (I don't actually have much experience with drunkeness, so I'm glad it ended up being entertaining). You are all amazing! :)**


	82. Chapter 82

Two more days passed until Taka af Brúðr was back on. There had to be negotiations between Loki, Thor, and Odin in those two days. Odin wanted Loki to end the competition since there were only three contestants left, but Loki insisted that he wanted more time. The king knew why this was of course, and he had some strong words about Maisy, mostly saying that Loki needed to hurry up and get rid of her already. Loki had countered this by suggesting he might choose Melantha if he was forced to choose right away. That had gotten them back on track quickly.

Now the three remaining girls were hanging from monkey bars fifty feet off the ground because if Odin was going to let the contest keep going he was also going to make them do ridiculous stuff. It was a form of obstacle course, but they had to do it all hanging from the monkeybars. There was a net beneath them, purely for Maisy's sake since the other two could survive such a drop, and the arena was stuffed with people hoping to see them fall.

It was a race to see who could get from one end of the suspended obstacle course to the other fastest. And Maisy was far in the back. Blaze was in second so far and Melantha was in first.

When Loki and Maisy had gone to strategize with the Avengers the previous night they'd invited Melantha as well. The Avengers didn't trust her and Loki didn't either, but she ended up having some helpful input. They'd all wanted her to drop out to make is so Maisy didn't have to pass another person in the ranks, but she'd suggested that they let her stay so that _she_ could beat Blaze and keep her from winning. She was much closer in total points, after all.

Tony had accused her of just wanting to win it herself, but she reminded him that Loki simply had to pick from the three of them. And they all had to admit that they would have prefered Melantha winning and getting the glory over Blaze winning and Maisy being taken away. Ideally, Maisy would win, but they couldn't count on Odin's patience forever and it would certainly take her a while to make up all of those points.

"Getting tired over there, Sichore?" Blaze called, swinging herself on top of the bars to avoid an obstacle of a swinging wooden sword. This gave Maisy an idea and she hoisted herself on top of the monkey bars. Then she simply started walk across them, watching her step carefully. Blaze cursed and started leaping from bar to bar in order to keep up. Maisy grinned and picked up her pace, but because of her speed she didn't notice a shimmering magic wall on the top of the bars. If she'd been paying attention she would have dropped below again and swung under it, but it was mostly transparent and she wasn't looking. She and Blaze both slammed into it and fell off the bars.

Blaze, being agile, quickly grabbed another obstacle and hung onto it for a while. Maisy flailed, but her hands didn't find purchase. She plummeted, screaming, into the net. The crowd went wild and Maisy groaned. Even with the net, everything hurt. She was going to be so sore the next day.

She opened her eyes (which she'd squeezed shut during the fall) and looked up at Blaze, getting back into the swing of things. She had nearly caught up to Melantha, but there was a slight burst of red light that could only be seen from directly below them. The magic caused Blaze to trip and have to hang onto the bottom of the bars again. Melantha rushed to the finish line and Blaze clung to the bars in defeat.

The crowd booed loudly and there was no hiding how much they hated Svartalfheim. Even if they didn't like Blaze particularly well, at least _she_ was in no way related to the murder of their beloved queen. Oddly enough, Maisy hadn't become the crowd favorite even though Midgard was the only competitor left that Asgard wasn't openly hostile with. Most people still liked Blaze better and Maisy wondered if any of them knew that she was one of them. Probably not. They probably just liked that she acted tough and warrior like, in the typical Asgardian manner.

After Melantha and Blaze were on solid ground and Maisy had found her way out of the net, they all stood before Odin and he announced that there would be another test between Melantha and Blaze that night. A test of magical abilities since both women had claimed to have them.

Maisy looked at Blaze, whom Loki claimed had no power beyond conjuring fireballs. She didn't look nervous, just angry at losing the monkeybar race. Melantha looked as smug as a spider with a full web. It was a good thing she was on their side or else they'd be in big trouble.

Everyone dispersed and Maisy turned to look for Loki, purely out of habit. She didn't find her husband, but instead bumped into her father. He didn't even say hello before asking if she was alright after the fall.

"I'm fine, Dad. Just a little sore," she rubbed her back, "Haven't seen you in a bit. How are you?"

"Angry," Mr. Sichore declared, "They told me that one of the girls had gone around and poisoned people! Did you get any of it?"

"No, she didn't get me. It's fine. Everything is okay."

"No it's not! That stupid one eyed king sent me a note telling me that I need to get out of Asgard! How am I supposed to leave when crap like this is going down?"

"Odin kicked you out?" Part of Maisy was relieved. She didn't need her dad causing a fuss and making things worse if she ended up having to go to Muspelheim. The other part of her was annoyed that Odin thought he could separate her from her family. He would have never have asked any of the other parents to leave. Of course, most of the other parents were government officials on their home planets and her dad was just a hick with a big mouth.

"He did! I tried to talk with him one on one to give him a piece of my mind, but the guards dragged me off and I got another note saying I have to leave _today_! Can you believe that?"

"I'm sorry, Dad, that sucks," Maisy gave him a hug, but it didn't do much to calm him down, "If I win then we'll invite you to the wedding ceremony, okay?"

"Hmmph!" Mr. Sichore snorted, "I don't want to go and have to deal with you marrying some alien freak, but I know you need me to walk you down the aisle."

"Exactly," Maisy agreed.

"And you'll invite Ima and the boys too, right?"

Maisy tried not to make a face at the thought of her step family. The last people she wanted to set foot in Asgard were her stepmom and the three dunces that came with her.

"Of course!" She answered with false enthusiasm.

"Chet, Bret, and Todd will probably try and kill your alien man, so be sure to warn him. They won't go as easy as I did when we had our tussle," her dad said with a grin. He was looking forward to the inevitable fight.

"Okay, yup, sure," Maisy just wanted her dad out of Asgard before he could make a scene, "Can't wait for that."

"It'll be a shame that your mom won't be able to make it."

Maisy stiffened, remembering that Melantha had said she knew were the first Mrs. Sichore had gone. Ontario. Maybe there was some way to get her there for the wedding. If she even cared. She probably didn't. She probably hadn't given Maisy a second thought since leaving.

"Yeah. It is a shame."

"Oh well," he pulled his daughter into another hug, "Love you Maisy. Be safe."

"Love you too, Dad."

With that, Mr. Sichore and his loud mouth walked away and Maisy let out an enormous sigh of relief. No more worrying over her dad getting into trouble and no more fear that Blaze would kill him. In fact, with him gone then Maisy could probably spill the beans about Blaze's true name. Odin might find that information interesting.

 **A note from the author: This one is a bit more of a filler chapter, as they say, but I really like the idea of Odin being so annoyed at the remaining contestants that he just said "screw it, break out the monkey bars, boys!" That is the mental image I have anyway.**

 **Thank you so, so much for reading, it really means the world to me that you took the time to click on my story and read through 82 chapters of this fun little story. :)**

 **Special thanks to those who reviewed, you darling people you: Ceres Friggadottir (aw, thank you!), ferbette (I agree that we should taze the crap out of Egil, you bring the tasers, I'll bring my pitchfork), Lwolf (Egil is a total pain, I agree), Ninja Squirrel (*sighs sadly* Die-An was my favorite too, but it had to be done), and Eliza (HISHE is amazing and healed most of my pain from IW... well, close to most of it, there's a lot of pain).**

 **Have a lovely day/night everyone! :)**


	83. Chapter 83

Once they were certain that there was no one Blaze could hurt in retaliation (Mr. Sichore was off-world, Linn was locked safely in Loki and Maisy's room, and the Avengers, the Warriors Three and Sif were all armed and ready), Thor was sent to tell Odin about Blaze's identity. They figured it would be better if Thor went since Odin was more likely to believe his favorite son. Besides, Loki wanted to wait with Maisy and Linn in the their room to make sure nothing happened to them once Blaze learned her secret was out.

They were all hoping that Odin would disqualify Blaze for lying about her realm of origin or because she was supposed to be banished from Asgard for whatever reason. With her gone they could end the competition and Loki could choose Maisy. Melantha was excited because this meant she could go home and stop worrying about the problems of a realm she hated.

Thor had left to discuss things with Odin two hours previous and everyone was beginning to get anxious. Linn was unfolding and refolding all of Loki's clothes, humming a song off key. Maisy was staring blankly at her sketchbook. Loki was sitting on the couch drinking tea and reading a book, not that he'd actually absorbed what he'd read.

Soon the magic contest would start and Maisy and Loki would be expected to be in attendance. If Thor didn't get back with the news soon they'd have to leave and wait until later to learn if Blaze was going to be banished again.

"You fink we should go eavesdrop on Odin's study?" Linn asked, folding a pair of leather pants for the fifth time, "Dis is getting very boring."

"Eavesdropping on the king is a hangable offense," Loki commented, taking a sip from his tea, "I don't recommend that course of action."

"But I'm _bored_."

"Why don't you open the door and have a chat with Bjorn?" Maisy suggested, "He's posted right outside, isn't he?"

"No opening the door. Linn is staying in here until Blaze is off the planet. I won't have her life wasted just because she wanted to flirt with a guard."

"It's not flirting!" Linn protested, skin going magenta, "Bjorn's my friend! Nuffin more!"

"Is that why he looks at you like your his 'stars and moon'?"

"Shut up! He does not!"

"Does too."

"Does not!"

"Does too."

"Does not!"

"Does too."

"Shush both of you! Someone just knocked on the door!" Maisy got up to answer it and Thor barreled into the room. He barreled into every room so this was nothing to be concerned about. What was concerning was the worried look on his face. Everyone fell quiet and stared at the crown prince, waiting for news.

"Brother," Thor sighed, "I am so sorry."

"Why?" Loki asked, anxiety growing.

"I am so sorry that you will have to wait until after the magic duel to see Blaze banished!" Thor grinned and gave Loki a hug, possibly breaking a rib, "Father has declared that he will allow them to duel and then he will take Blaze, you, me, Melantha, Egil, and Tyr off to be questioned about what we know. He says that if she truly is Tyr's illegitimate daughter - who he thought had died long ago - then he will send her and the whole Muspelheim entourage back home!"

"Yes!" Linn exclaimed, launching herself off the floor and hugging Maisy, "Yes! You gonna win and you two will be married soon! I can't wait! Can I do your hair for the wedding? Can I help you design the dress? Can I-"

"How about we just say that you are the maid of honor and leave it at that? Then you can help with everything," Maisy grinned, hugging her friend back, "This is fantastic! Thank you Thor!"

"My pleasure, Maisy, my absolute pleasure!"

"Maid of honor?" Linn was gasping, "Sounds important!"

"And I will be best man of course," Thor looked at Loki expectantly, "Right? I mean, you do not have too, but… eh, well, um."

Loki gave an enormous roll of his eyes and nodded at his brother. Thor squealed with excitement and he and Linn started going on about how amazing the wedding would be. Loki couldn't help a chuckle when Maisy gestured to the pair and twirled her finger by her ear indicating their craziness.

"What song will you walk in to?" Linn demanded of Maisy, "Cause there is dis one dat I fink would be _perfect_. It was me mum's favorite!"

"What's that?"

"It's called Halla-loo or somefing by some Leonard guy, I don't remember but me mum used to sing it to me dad and it was so pretty!"

"Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen?!" Maisy squealed and suddenly all three of them were at it with wedding plans, "Ohmygoshohmygosh, yes! I don't care if it makes me seem basic, I am walking in to that song. It is my favorite thing ever!"

"I do not know this song but if it is your favorite then I already love it!" Thor declared.

"What about vows?" Linn asked, "You guys hafta write the perfect vows!"

"Oh," Maisy blushed and glanced awkwardly at Loki, "I was thinking we'd go more traditional. Uh, you know, since it's not _really_ … um we aren't, you know?"

"What?"

"I believe she is trying to say that since we are not having a wedding to symbolize what it means to most people that we ought not to get overly _mushy_ with it," Loki said, "Traditional vows will work well enough."

"Right," Maisy said.

"Oh come on!" Linn exclaimed, "Dat's no fun! You've gotta talk about somefing real sweet and special to you!"

"Erm, no, it will be fine."

"Prince, you're wif me on dis, right?" Linn asked Thor, "Like, Loki should say somfing like," her voice dropped low, "Maisy, even dough you showed up unexpectedly in my life, you are the most welcome surprise I've ever had and I can't imagine a day wifout you."

Thor nodded and grabbed Linn's hand, batting his eyelashes humorously.

"And then Maisy will respond," his voice went up higher than anyone thought it could go, "And even though you can be an evil prick and you blew up my city, I will love you forever and ever!"

The pair burst into giggles and Maisy turned as red as a tomato. She looked to Loki and he smiled, trying to convey he wasn't bothered by his brother and Linn's antics. She smiled back and the four of them were soon laughing as they got ready to go watch the magic duel between Melantha and Blaze. None of them realized it was the last time they'd be laughing for while.

 **A note from the author: I won't lie, I was sort of holding off this chapter just to see if we'd get up to 200 reviews. But since we did not I will save the celebration until the next author's note (if I get two reviews that is).**

 **Thank you so much for reading! Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Special thanks to those who reviewed: ferbette, yellowroseofthenw (I'm so glad that it reads like a movie for you because I try very hard to write it that way! Glad to hear it's working!), and Lwolf! You guys are wonderful for being so kind as to leave me some comments on your thoughts! I really appreciate it! :)**

 **Until next time!**


	84. Chapter 84

Queen Melantha was good, Egil had to admit, but with him throwing his own magic for Blaze things were evenly matched. Obviously Blaze couldn't be trusted to do magic by herself. She knew a few simple spells, but all her mind had really latched onto from Egil's teaching had been how to throw fireballs. He didn't mind. It was fun to cheat right under the trickster's nose.

And he was literally under the trickster's nose as the royals were up in an anti-magic box that protected them from stray spells. Egil was sitting directly underneath with the rest of his crew. They were waving and cheering to cover up his spell casting and Blaze was making the perfect motions to go along with the spells that he threw at Melantha. The only one who might know that they were cheating was the elf queen herself, but she wasn't going to tell. She wasn't trusted enough to report a cheater. No one would believe her and she was too proud. She wanted to beat them regardless.

"Blaze dear," Egil muttered to himself, "C'mon, scooch a smidgen to the left or I'll blow off your buttocks by mistake - ah! Perfect!"

He fired a spell which Melantha countered easily, creating an explosion in the air. The crowd was enthralled with the duel and Egil was keen to give them an interesting show, but it was also getting a bit long. They'd been at it for fifteen minutes already and he wanted to wrap things up. They had bigger things to worry about.

"Belison," one of the men grumbled, "How long are we going to keep this up? The elf is obviously a better magician. Just give up."

"I don't think so," Egil used his free hand to shove the man, "Can't you see what they're doing? They want this wretched Dark Elf to get ahead of Blaze and then they think that we won't be able to win Maisy."

"I thought Lord Surtur didn't want you to bring her back with you anyway."

"He doesn't, and I won't have her there for long. I'm not foolish enough to challenge him a second time. After a year or so I'll take her back to Midgard."

"Why even come home in the first place? You want the boss to kill that Krylorian prince?"

"Maybe a bit. Aoiba did try to interfere with my plans, she deserves to suffer. But also because I need Maisy to understand how things are going to work between us. What better place to teach her that than Muspelheim?"

"From my experience, girls hate Muspelheim," the man grumbled, "So good luck with that one."

Egil ignored him and just barely blocked a spell that was meant to knock Blaze out. His champion glared at him and this time neither of them saw the spell coming. It knocked Blaze head over heels and she rolled all the way across the arena and into a wall. Egil cursed loudly and turned away from the arena. He wanted to be the first at the scoreboard when it was updated. He'd let Blaze deal with her failure by herself. At least, he was going to until he heard Odin yell for the guards to "seize her".

Egil spun around and saw a whopping ten palace guards rush forward and surround Blaze. He quickly jumped out of the seating area and ran to her, but the guards threw him back. He turned to look at the royal box and saw Loki smirking at him with arms crossed and chin raised regally. Odin looked as stoic as ever and Thor was beaming. Egil scanned the crowd for Maisy, but couldn't make out her face anywhere or even her wretchedly green hair.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Egil roared over the confused calls of the audience, "Answer me Odin!"

The Allfather did no such thing, choosing instead to turn his back on the arena and exit. Thor and Loki followed, though the trickster couldn't resist one taunting wave behind his adopted father's back. Egil looked again to Blaze to see her trying to fight off the guards, without much success.

"Stop it, Blaze," he ordered, "Let's see what these puffed up Asgardians want."

Then he left the arena in the company of the guards. He even glanced at the scoreboard as he left and saw that Melantha was quickly gaining on them. Even if this nonsense with the guards resulted in nothing, they still had problems. At least Maisy still remained firmly at the bottom of the chart.

The guards led them to the Great Hall and all of them clapped a hand to their chest as Odin entered. The elderly king was followed by his sons, an old man, and Melantha. The unidentified old man's eyes widened when he spotted Blaze and Egil had a bad feeling settle in his stomach. He knew enough of his champion's past to know that this was not good.

"Blaze of Muspelheim," Odin said, sitting down in his throne, "An alias."

"Damn," Egil breathed. They knew. They'd found out. He'd told her to keep from drawing Heimdall's notice, but she must have done so or else how would these people know who she was? Out of all of the things he'd expected it hadn't been this. He'd thought they were about get called out for their various bouts of cheating throughout the competition.

"It is," Blaze agreed, "But as I shed my old self when I joined Surtur's forces, I prefer not to reveal my old name."

Good. That was a good answer. It would be like asking a monk to wear skinny jeans to ask a servant of Surtur to reveal their true name. It would be offensive and they could use that. Unless, of course, they already knew her name.

"Gala Tyrdottir," Odin said without hesitation, "Correct me if I'm wrong."

A heavy silence descended on the room and Blaze twitched uncomfortably throughout all of it. Egil wondered if she was fighting the urge to look at him for guidance. It would make her look weak to do so, but she clearly did not know how to respond to this.

"I do not need your confirmation," Odin noted, "As you can see, your father is here and by the look on his face I would say he recognizes you."

"Gala," the old man said, stepping forward. Blaze shrunk back, "What are you doing? Haven't you already brought enough shame to me? Must you rear your head again at so terrible of a time?"

"Terrible time? Oh yeah, I heard about Drin the Dim taking a knife to the neck! And from a Midgardian too! That really must be embarrassing," Blaze spat and Egil could just barely detect fear in her voice. She was still wary of her father.

"Shut your mouth, you ungrateful wretch!" Tyr bellowed, stepping forward and looking like he wanted to slap Blaze. Egil stepped closer too, but a guard held him back.

"Shut my mouth?" Blaze laughed, "You know who should have kept their mouth shut? Loki's pet Midgardian!" Her focus turned to Loki, "You had best hide her friends well, princey. I may not be allowed to touch _her_ , but that won't stop me from wringing that pink kid's neck!"

"We _were_ here to question you and find out if you are truly who others have claimed you are, but I see you admit it freely," Odin said and Egil flinched, "Now it only remains to be seen what we will do with you."

"I do not see the problem in allowing her to continue to compete," Egil spoke up, "It is not as if she has broken any law-"

"But she has. Her banishment was final. She was never to return to Asgard on penalty of death. Apart from that is against the rules to allow anyone of Asgardian blood to compete in Taka af Brúðr."

Egil knew this. He'd hoped that Odin had forgotten the crimes Blaze had committed. It wasn't as if it was _that_ bad anyway. She'd set fire to the marketplace after her mother died and her father refused her. A reasonable response, really. Odin had overreacted.

Her mother had been a immigrant from Alfheim who had worked as an indentured servant in Tyr's home. Young Gala had grown up in her father's house, with him knowing who she was all the while, but she'd never been treated as more than a servant. And when her mother died because Drin had recklessly brought a live bilgesnipe home and it had broken loose, the poor young girl had asked her father for some recognition. After all, she was hardly old enough to look after herself. Tyr had coldly refused and Blaze had hotly responded.

Egil heard that the marketplace where her father did much of his business had burned for days on end.

Odin had thrown her out and Surtur had taken her in. Just as he took in all of the unfortunate hybrids who weren't wanted anywhere else. Just as he'd taken Egil in.

"The question that remains is whether to execute you or to allow you to return to Muspelheim," Odin said gravely, "As you have not harmed anyone since being here, I am inclined to send you back."

"'Not harmed anyone' my ass," Loki said, probably louder than he meant to, "She nearly set Maisy on fire and burnt my horse! And she just threatened one of the palace staff member's life!"

"Belison," Odin said and Egil was finally allowed to step forward, "Would Surtur go back on our agreement of peace if I killed this woman?"

"He might," Egil said, "I might encourage him to as she is like my sister."

"No one would want a sister like that," Tyr stated, "I am glad Drin never knew that you were his."

"I should have killed you when I first got back to this planet," Blaze hissed at the old man.

"If she manages to make it to the Bifrost without killing anyone," Odin said, looking somewhat amused by the situation, "Then I will permit her to leave."

"Thank you, Odin," Egil put a hand on Blaze's shoulder, "We will collect our things and our entourage and go."

"See that you do so quickly," Odin turned to Melantha, effectively dismissing the people of Muspelheim and changing the subject, "It is down to you and the Midgardian."

"And I would like to take this opportunity to formally drop out," the Dark Elf queen smirked and offered her hand to Blaze, "No hard feelings."

"I didn't want that son of a frost giant anyway," Blaze snickered and turned to walk off. Egil had no time to gadge Loki's reaction to this, he needed to make sure that his idiot champion didn't kill anyone before he could form a new plan. He'd told Maisy the day before, he was not leaving without her and he didn't intend to break his word. Competition or no.

* * *

Loki was going to kiss Maisy. Maybe it was weird to plan this sort of thing out. Maybe it was supposed to be something spontaneous and exciting for both parties. Not that he wasn't immensely excited. It had been all he could think of from the moment that Odin re-banished Blaze. He's been so wrapped up in the thought of putting his lips on hers that he barely noticed when Melantha forfeited or when Thor clapped him on the back in a congratulatory manner.

Once he was free of the throne room, he began briskly walking toward his chambers where Maisy was waiting. He already knew that he wasn't even going to bother to shoo Linn out of the room. He was just going to walk right in, scoop Maisy into his arms, and kiss her gently. _Then_ he'd make Linn leave after she squealed with excitement for a bit and then he'd kiss Maisy again if she let him. And, if she let him, it would be much less chaste than the first kiss.

The scene played through his head a dozen or so times before he finally got to his chamber door. Should he knock? No, he lived here too. So he threw the door open. Strangely enough, Linn wasn't there. He gave little thought to the matter, only hoping that she was well out of the way of Blaze because no one else would notice the disappearance of one little laundress.

Maisy was sitting on the couch and she sat up straighter when he came in. He smiled at her and walked over, putting his hands on either side of her head on the back of the couch. She looked up at him with a small, confused smile.

"How did the trial go?" She asked, "What's going on with Blaze?"

"She's leaving as we speak," Loki said, "Egil is probably dragging her down the Rainbow Bridge by her hair."

"I'm surprised - and grateful - he didn't try to come say goodbye to me."

"I think, at this moment, he is more concerned with getting Blaze out of here before she kills someone, which would cause Odin to execute her. He might be back," he stood up straight and offered his hand to her, "But we'll be ready for him."

Maisy took his hand and he pulled her against his chest. She gasped in surprise and he studied her face to make sure it was not a disapproving sound.

"What's gotten into you?" She asked, but she was smiling broadly.

"Blaze is gone and Melantha forfeited. This cursed Taka af Brúðr is about to come to a close and I am quite pleased with the outcome," he pressed one hand into the small of her back and the other her cupped her face with, "I say we celebrate. What do you think?"

Her eyes lit up happily and she leaned closer.

"I think that's a pretty good idea, _princey_."

Before he could process what she said her lips were on his. However, rather than feeling the excitement he'd felt walking here, there was only dread now. He pulled back and noticed a slight orange shimmer at the corner of her eyes. She grinned wider and grabbed the back of his head, going in for a second kiss.

"What's the matter?" She asked innocently, but there was a steel edge to her words, "Haven't you been dying to do this for ages? I know I have."

He was going to feel terrible if he was wrong, but in the moment he didn't care. He shoved her back and onto the couch, where she burst into a fit of laughter and kicked her legs like a child on a chair that was too high for them.

"How did you get in here so quickly?" He asked, taking a step back, "How did you get here ahead of me? How did you even know what room?!"

"Oh princey boy," she smirked, "You remember when Egil stole this?"

She held her wedding ring aloft and Loki could have been sick. Odin had put a tracking spell on it. It wouldn't have been hard for Egil to latch onto that spell without drawing suspicion.

Loki shot a bolt of magic at Maisy's face, probably more violently than he needed to. Her brown eyes, light freckles, and green hair faded. A crisply tanned, red haired, smiling monster took her place.

"I hate to be the one to break it to you, my sweet princey-pie, but Blaze isn't being dragged down the Rainbow Bridge by her hair…" the monster threw its hands in the air, "She's right here! Surprise! Yay!"

All of a sudden Loki was pinning her to the back of the couch again, feeling rather like a rabid dog and wondering if he was actually foaming at the mouth.

" _Where is Maisy?!_ "

"Whoa there," Blaze pushed his hands off her shoulders, "Getting a little handsy, aren't we? What _would_ my father say? We should ask him. And give him a knife for his heart right after."

"I'm about to do the same to you if you don't tell me where she is, I promise you that," Loki growled, straightening up and conjuring a dagger into his hand and pointing it at her, "Tell me where she is. _Now._ "

"You get three guesses," Blaze sang, "If you can't figure it out with that big brain of yours then I'll tell you. Play along, princey, it will make it easier for you."

"I am not playing a game. If you don't tell me where she is-"

"Guess! C'mon! What's the harm? I promise there will be harm for Maisy if you don't play along."

"Fine. The bathroom," Loki pointed.

"Nope."

"The wardrobe."

"Give it a real guess, _c'mon_!" Blaze yelled slamming her fist on the armrest of the couch, "You're boring! I thought you were the fun prince of Asgard!"

"Very well, if you insist," he straightened his shirt and realized that he needed to get in control of this situation quickly, "She's the one that Egil is dragging down the Rainbow Bridge and she's probably disguised as you so that her struggling will look like the ravings of a sore loser."

"Aw, how cute. You think she's still on the Bridge? If they are they won't be long enough for you to do anything about it."

"We'll see about that-"

"Think again," Blaze jumped up and got in between him and the door, "The switching place thing? This is permanent. So I'm going to need you to put that illusion back on me, princey."

"Why should I?" He knew exactly what her rebuttal would be a moment after he asked.

"The plan is that if I die she dies," Blaze shrugged, "But obviously I don't trust Egil to go through with that since he's such a lovestruck nincompoop at the moment. So I sent Surtur word of this little plan. He'll follow through. He doesn't mind killing the little lady if Odin lays a finger on me."

"And what? We go on with this charade forever?"

"Until you stop caring if Maisy lives or dies," Blaze grinned, "And in case you are as heartless as we all suspect, I've got a contingency."

"What?" He spat.

"Just a little something that will make the Vault go _boom_ ," she splayed her fingers to demonstrate, "I can activate it from anywhere just as quick as you can blink."

Odin's Vault exploding would be problematic for many reasons. For one thing, an explosion indoors was never good. For another, some of the items in the vault were irreplaceable. Finally, some of the items in the vault were highly unstable and if they were hit with an explosion there was no telling the damage that they'd cause. It would be disastrous.

"What do I need to do to prevent you from setting off the explosion?" He was going to ask what he needed to do keep Surtur from killing Maisy, but the less he seemed like he cared about her the better at this point. Then it would be unexpected when he got around to rescuing her.

"So Maisy won the Taka af Brúðr thingy mabob and if I'm going to be Maisy, that means that I won the Taka af Brúðr thingy mabob," Blaze smiled, "Basically, all you need to do is to pretend like nothing has happened. Just keep telling yourself that I'm that little Midgardian rat until you believe it."

"I suppose that means we'll be following your earlier plan of marriage, heirs, and overthrowing my brother?" Loki tried not to cringe at the idea.

"Hey, look at you! You _are_ smart!" Blaze laughed, "Because you're so smart, I'll even give you a chance to go stop my friends before they take Maisy to Muspelheim."

She stepped out of his way and he hastily made for the door. He didn't care if this was some sort of trap, he had to at least try.

"Wait, wait, wait! There is a condition," Blaze pointed at the bathroom door with her thumb, "There is _someone_ in the bathroom and they are in the slow, slow process of dying from a stab wound I gave them. They've been bleeding for quite a while now and if you run to the Bridge you might not have time to save them. Your choice!"

The red head went back to sitting on the couch with a pleased smile on her face. Loki wondered who could possibly be in the bathroom that made her so confident. They couldn't be more important than getting Maisy back. He didn't care about that many people so the odds were low that it was actually someone important to him. So he might as well just go save Maisy.

But then he remembered that Linn was supposed to have been in his room. Linn was supposed to have been waiting with Maisy to hear the verdict. And even though he'd been willing to kill the girl for the good of Asgard and himself, he didn't think Maisy would ever forgive him if he let the half-Krylorian girl die in their bathroom.

So, with a roar of frustration, he threw open the bathroom door. He was surprised to find red blood everywhere - the color of human and Asgardian blood. Linn's blood was a purple-ish color. For one heart stopping moment Loki wondered if Blaze had just killed Maisy and dumped her in the bathtub and this whole situation was arranged just so she could have a laugh. When he got to the bathtub and saw brown hair splayed over the side, he couldn't help but feel a sick sense of relief that it wasn't Maisy. But he saw the face and knew he'd made the right call delaying his rescue even if it wasn't Linn.

Jane was as pale as a ghost and there was blood pouring from a wound at her side, even though her fingers had pressed most of her skirt to it to slow it. She was barely conscious, muttering his and Thor's names alternatingly in hopes of getting help. He did what he could to slow down the bleeding with magic and then picked her up. She groaned and her eyes fluttered open for a minute.

"Loki…" she whispered, "Where's Thor?"

"He'll be here shortly," Loki assured her with as calm as voice as he was able, "It will all be alright. Thor will be here in a moment. I've got to get you to the healers."

"M-Maisy…"

"Yes, I know it looks like she stabbed you-"

"No," Jane rasped, closing her eyes again, "You have to save Maisy. Egil got her…"

"I know, I know, but we have to get you to the healers first, alright?" Loki was startled to feel a tear drip off his chin. He didn't think he cared that much about his brother's girlfriend, but she'd grown on him. Not to mention he was frustrated about not being able to rescue Maisy. Maybe the tears weren't all for Jane.

"Thor's coming?"

"Yes, of course he is!" Loki rushed her through his chambers, ignoring Blaze waving joyfully at them, "Thor will be here shortly - you, Bjorn!"

The guard outside his room snapped to attention when Loki threw open the door with Jane in his hands. He looked sick at the sight of so much blood.

"Get my brother and tell him to get to the healer's immediately. Tell him that-"

"Jane's been stabbed!" Bjorn rushed off to do as he was bid and Loki continued to move as quickly as he could toward the healer's station at this end of the palace.

By the time he'd gotten Jane to the intended destination she had passed out. He slammed the door open to the healer's station and saw an old noble getting his regular check up on the table. He had his shirt off and the healer was listening to his heartbeat.

"Get out of the way, old fool!" Loki snarled and the noble scurried off the table, grabbing his shirt as he went. Loki deposited his bundle on the table and turned to the healer, "She's been stabbed in her side!"

"Isn't this…?"

"Thor's beloved, yes! So you'd better hurry and save her unless you want thunder and lightning to destroy the whole realm!"

The healer got to work, peeling back Jane's dress and clucking her tongue at the damage. She called for the other two healers in the station and one began to help as the other was sent to get the head healer.

Loki nervously stood off to the side. He could try running for the Bridge, but he doubted he would make it in time. Besides, if he was seen fleeing from a victim of a stabbing, there was no question who would get the blame for said stabbing. He had a bit of a reputation.

After ten minutes Thor burst into the room and ran straight for the table, grabbing Jane's hand. The healers allowed him to stay like that for a moment, but he got in the way soon enough and they told him and Loki to go wait outside the station. The two prince's did and the moment they were out the door Thor punched Loki in the face. The dark brother staggered to the side and quickly put up his hands peacefully.

"Thor, wait!"

"You tried to kill Jane! Everytime I think I can trust you you turn on me like the rat you are!" Thor bellowed, "And now it might cost me her life! I will not 'wait'!"

He aimed for another blow, but Loki avoided it easily.

"I didn't do this, Thor! Why would I bring her to be saved if I was the one who stabbed her in the first place?!"

"I don't know! I'll never understand your logic."

"Calm down," Loki ducked out of the way of another punch, but he wasn't expecting Thor to kick his legs out from under him at the same time and he ended up on the floor, "Thor, please!"

"I will listen to no more of your lies, Loki!"

"Egil has stolen Maisy!" Loki managed, knowing that if Blaze overheard he was in for a world of trouble. But Blaze couldn't leave his room since he hadn't given her a disguise so she wouldn't be able to hear him.

"W-what?" Thor lowered his fist and stared down at Loki, "What are you talking about?"

"You can't tell anyone or else she'll die," Loki said quickly, "Egil broke into my room and took Maisy. He left Blaze disguised as Maisy and she stabbed Jane."

"Brother," Thor helped Loki back to his feet, "I am sorry, I did not know."

"It's fine," Loki dusted himself off, "You just cannot tell anyone or else Surtur will kill Maisy. And Blaze will blow up the Vault."

"Egil could not have left that long ago, perhaps we can catch him on the Bridge!"

"No, he will be gone now," Loki's shoulders slumped and if he'd have been a weaker man he would have hugged his brother for comfort, "Blaze gave me the choice. Save Maisy or save Jane. And looked like her problem might be a little more time sensitive."

"Loki," Thor's voice was soft and his eyes were wide, "I do not know how to thank you. Had you left Jane she would have surely died."

"And now we only have to keep a secret that might unravel the kingdom or else Maisy will die," Loki met his brother's gaze, "Blaze wants me to go through with the wedding and everything with her."

He left out the fact that Blaze also wanted to put him on the throne. He wasn't ready to give up every secret yet.

"We will find a way out of this," Thor squeezed his brother's shoulder, "Even if you have to marry Blaze we'll eventually find a way to rescue Maisy. Together."

Loki nodded miserably, not sure that he believed his brother, and they both sat down and waited to hear if Jane would be alright. As anxious as Loki was to start planning a rescue mission, he knew that neither of them would be able to think until Jane was safe. But when she was, well, Egil would be put through every torture method Loki knew and then he'd die an excruciating death.

 **A note from the author: Well that was a bucket of fun, was it not? I hope you are enjoying reading this and hopefully on the edge of your seat to find out what happens next. I cannot wait to share it with you!**

 **Thank you so much to everyone who has read this far and favorite and followed! It means a lot to me!**

 **And, though I don't like to say that I have favorite readers, you know I'm partial to those who have taken the time to tell me their thoughts on the story. So a massive thanks to:ferbette (sorry for the gut punch, but what can I say? I'm an evil author), Ninja Squirrel (yay! 200th review! woot woot! and to answer your question... yes, you should be scared), Ceres Friggadottir (indeed, who knows what will happen to them? Well... I know, but no one else! And it will be a** **roller coaster), and darkangelynn5 (holy moly! A headcannon for my fanfic, that's freaking amazing! Your review made me so happy that I had to send a message to my sister. She was very confused).**

 **You are all amazing, amazing, amazing! Thank you so much for giving this story a whopping 202 reviews! Cheers ladies and gents! And hold onto your hats folks... we're in for a bumpy ride now.**


	85. Chapter 85

Last time she'd been there, Maisy hadn't noticed that the Rainbow Bridge had a texture rather like her Uncle Frank's backyard deck. His deck was wood - clumsily stained a dark brown color - and he'd never sanded it. It was safe to walk on, certainly, but it was suggested you wear shoes while doing so. And if you didn't, as Maisy hadn't for most of her childhood, you just had to be careful where you put your feet.

One hot summer's day when Maisy was ten, she'd been excited to go swim in Uncle Frank's new inflatable pool with her cousin, Jenny. The girls couldn't be bothered to put on their flip-flop sandals as they sprinted across the deck and this resulted in Maisy tripping on one of the rougher parts of the deck and getting a huge cut on her foot. The wood hadn't given her a splinter, but it was rough and she'd been going against the grain of the wood. She'd ended up having to get stitches on her foot and she couldn't even use the new pool. All because the deck was just the wrong texture.

Similarly, the Rainbow Bridge was perfectly safe to walk on, but if you weren't wearing much in the way of protective footwear and you were being dragged against the grain while desperately trying to move the other way, you could get some nasty cuts.

She'd been fighting the two Muspelheim guards the whole trip down the Bridge, and they hadn't been exactly gentle with her since Egil wasn't there. Everytime she wiggled free of their grip and launched herself into a stumbling run, the men yanked her ankles from behind her and dragged her along the shimmering material. Her bare arms and feet were slashed in multiple places and she even had a cut on her face from one particularly nasty tumble.

The Bridge was much rougher the closer they got to the golden Bifrost dome, as if it was newer and not yet as worn down as the beginning of the bridge. Here she let loose a sob when she fell. The men were quick to reach for her, but she was already crawling away, cutting up her arms more. She was getting too close to the end of the Bridge and if she didn't get free soon she wasn't sure that she was going to. So she kept crawling, not caring that the Asgardian guards who were escorting them were shaking their heads in pity and disgust.

None of them knew it was her. One of the Muspelheim entourage members had cast a spell that made her look like Blaze and Blaze look like her. She'd been yelling at them who she actually was, but they'd evidently been warned that Blaze would try anything to get back to Asgard and murder people. They didn't specify what people, which made Maisy worried for her friends and made her try all the harder.

"If you don't calm down, Blaze, you'll shred yourself to ribbons before we can get home," one of the men snapped, roughly grabbing her arms and pulling her back. The other members of the entourage helped by grabbing various limbs. Maisy was held aloft as if she were crowd surfing. At this she screamed and tears of frustration and fear started pouring down her cheeks.

"Be careful!" Egil's warm voice called from the dome when they got close, "She is one of us after all."

Heimdall stood stoically by his sword, his golden eyes watching Maisy struggle with only the vaguest curiosity. She tried to yell her same pleas at him. He knew things somehow. He saw secrets, like he'd done with Blaze's identity.

"Please! Heimdall, I'm begging you," the tears rolled into the cut on her cheek and stung, her voice was raw from yelling so much, "Please, I'm not Blaze! I'm Maisy Sichore! I'm married to Prince Loki, I need to get back to him! Blaze might kill him!"

"Gala Tyrdottir," Heimdall's deep voice rumbled, "I am not falling for anymore of your tricks. Be glad the Allfather is letting you leave with your life."

"No! Heimdall, please!"

But it was too late, he was turning the sword and a flashing, pulsing portal was opening up before them. Maisy had never screamed louder in her life or fought harder. She kicked one of the Muspelheim entourage in the face and the girl dropped her foot. Maisy was able to get to her feet again and she immediately started to sprint toward Asgard. Before she got far, two solid arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her into a warm, inviting chest.

Egil turned her around to face him with great sadness in his eyes, that thinly concealed the triumph. He pressed her to himself and rested his cheek on the top of her head.

"Stop fighting," he murmured into her hair, "Stop fighting and come home."

It had been a long trip to the Bifrost and Maisy was weak and wounded. She couldn't hold herself up anymore and she drooped in his hold, crying without care to who heard her. Egil gently carried her curled up form over to the portal and she couldn't find an ounce of strength to fight him. He bid Heimdall farewell and stepped into the flashing lights.

* * *

Jane was fine. She'd have to spend awhile in bed and not exerting herself, but she would live. Thor was so overjoyed that he rarely left her side, which made planning a rescue mission difficult, since they couldn't tell Jane.

Somehow, the scientist had forgotten that Maisy had been kidnapped by Egil. She only recalled Blaze breaking into the room as she'd been visiting Maisy and then getting stabbed. She assumed that Maisy or the guards had fought off the villainous girl and that everything was fine. Thor didn't allow Loki to tell her otherwise because the healers said that Jane shouldn't be faced with any surprises as she recovered.

With Thor a lovesick mess it was up to Loki to think of a rescue plan.

In the day that had gone by since Egil kidnapped Maisy, Loki hadn't done much except wait for Jane to be fixed and then help Jane get comfortable in her room. It was the early hours of the morning now as he was heading back to his room. He'd nearly forgotten that the beastly Muspelheim girl was waiting for him.

When he opened the door he wanted to groan with irritation. Blaze was draped across the bed, smirking at him. He immediately decided to take the couch, regardless of Odin's rules. Ignoring the redhead on the bed, he took a blanket from Maisy's nest and laid down on the couch. With a snap of his fingers the light went out and he heard Blaze laugh.

"Oh come on," her footsteps sounded until she was right next to the couch. Loki continued to ignore her, "You know, I'm not as much of a prude as she is. We can share the bed."

Loki didn't move beyond taking a deep breath of the blanket he was wrapped in. It smelled like Maisy. He wasn't sure exactly what she smelled like. Somewhat like the floral smelling cosmetics she used, a little bit like the soap in the bathroom, and just the smallest amount like the graphite from her pencils. The blanket had somehow captured her aroma perfectly and if he wasn't so tired he would be annoyed with himself for acting like a lovesick idiot.

"Or we can share the couch, your choice," Blaze persisted, climbing on top of him and landing between him and the back of the couch and snuggling in, "I like to be the little spoon, for your information."

Loki had no choice but to get off the couch, leaving the blanket behind. Blaze pouted in the dark, her eyes glowing orange just the smallest amount.

"I'll play along with your sick game in public, Blaze, but not in my own home. Pick the couch or the bed and stay put," he snarled.

"Seriously?" Blaze rolled her eyes and then batted her lashes, "Go on, put the Maisy disguise back on me. Let's have some fun together! You won't even notice the difference! I can pretend to be a simpering, cowardly, too-sweet Midgardian."

"If you want to look like her so much, fine," he cast the illusion, "But do you want the bed or the couch?"

"Aw, princey boy," Blaze with Maisy's face got off the couch and put her hand on his chest, "You scared of me?"

"I just don't like to share my sleeping space with the _refuse_ of Asgard," he sneered at her. The playful look in her eyes dropped immediately and she looked more like she wanted to kill him, which was an odd expression for Maisy's face to hold.

"Watch yourself, or I'll blow the Vault just because I'm in a bad mood," she said, turning back to the bed, "Enjoy your couch."

A victory over Blaze felt good, small as it was. Maybe there was still a chance of him reigning in this situation before it got out of hand. Hopefully he could figure something out before she decided she wanted an heir. More than that, he hoped Maisy would be alright in the harsh atmosphere of Muspelheim in the arms of her ex lover.

 **A note from the author: Ah Blaze, you weirdo. Leave Loki alone. I am aware of the fact that I could have written her to leave Loki alone, but I prefer to make my characters suffer. :P**

 **Thank you so much for reading and for all of the new favorites and follows! It is very encouraging to see people still favoriting and following! I know it's a massive undertaking to start reading a story this huge so hopefully everyone who has recently joined us isn't too overwhelmed! We're glad you're here!**

 **PSA: If anyone is living in denial about the sudden turn of events in this story, I've been told that ferbette has constructed a pillow fort of denial and that others are welcome. Similarly, Ninja Squirrel is hiding under a blanket. It seems our current best defense against the approaching angst and drama is blankets and pillows. I will keep you updated on how well that works. ;)**

 **Speaking of my lovely reviewers, here is my massive shout out thank you to them: ferbette, Ninja Squirrel, Phoenix86710 (I like your plan, I should just go with that... but then we'd miss out on all the pain! Or maybe that was the plan...), CheetahLover (no worries! Don't ever feel like you're obligated to review or anything, I'm just glad to know you are reading it! :)).**

 **Until next time my darling readers! :D**


	86. Chapter 86

**A brief note from the author: Fair warning... you aren't going to like this chapter.**

 **.**

It was unbearably hot. That was the first thing she noticed about Muspelheim. She thought that she was going to melt in Egil's arms and just be a puddle on the volcanic rock floor. Her tears dried in an instant and her sweat decided to replace them.

They were on a rocky plain with jagged mountains in the distance. The sun wasn't out from behind the ashy looking clouds, but there was still a pale orange tint to everything. Maisy could spot glowing eyes under rocks and she heard familiar roars from far off that made her shudder. She was in the home of lindworms and she hoped they didn't hate her as much in real life as they did in her nightmares.

Egil led their group over to three flaming chariots, steered by rocky, skeletal looking people with horns and powered by scaly horses with fire instead of eyes. They climbed into the chariots and Maisy clung to Egil even though she was filled with nothing but hate for him in that moment. The chariots moved quickly and he held her tightly. She had no fear of falling off. He wouldn't let her get away that easily.

They rode for some time before coming the mouth of a large cave. Down into the cave they went, coming eventually to an enormous throne room with a chair bigger than a house in the middle. On the giant chair sat an even bigger man. Although, he wasn't really a man. He was more of a skeleton with a giant pair of horns sprouting from his eyebrows. He looked even more frightening because he was covered in fire and his hand rested on the biggest sword Maisy had ever seen in her life.

"Egil Belison," the monster man said, "Welcome home."

"My Lord Surtur," Egil bowed as low as he was able without putting Maisy down, "It is good to be back."

This was where her once boyfriend of nearly two years was from. This was the kind of place he was used to. How weird the apartments they'd each lived in must have seemed to him. Nothing was on fire unless she was cooking and there weren't a whole lot of black rocks or lava sitting around. She was blown away by how easily Egil had taken on looking domestic and like a normal college student when they'd met. He had slipped into his role on earth with ease while she had been struggling for months to figure out what all the freaking knobs on an Asgardian shower did.

"This, surely, is not my warrior, Blaze, is it?" Surtur extended a bony finger in their direction and Maisy flinched at the heat that was directed at them.

"No, milord," Egil finally let the illusion drop and Maisy felt exposed. Surtur didn't want her here from what Aoiba had claimed. He'd rather have her dead, "It is my Midgardian woman."

"Not _your_ woman," Maisy muttered tiredly. The heat was making her sleepy even though she wanted to be alert for this weird new world.

"So Blaze warned me," Surtur nodded, "She sent word yesterday that you intended to bring the woman one way or another."

"I know you do not approve, milord, but give me one year and then I will take her back to Midgard and we will spy for you there," Egil said.

"You will have six months until I no longer tolerate her presence here. And if Odin finds out about what you've done and threatens Muspelheim you will return the girl at once. Or at least take her away from here."

"Odin will not find out," Egil smirked, "Blaze has taken her place and will be following through with the plan to get the trickster, Loki, on the throne."

"Excellent," Surtur actually laughed a little, shaking the the whole cavern, "You and your woman have my blessing to stay here for six months. Go enjoy her."

Egil bowed again and Maisy finally woke from the shock she was in. She began to struggle against him and fight to get back on her own two feet. He only held her tighter.

"Be careful, Maisy, you've no shoes and, as the game goes, the floor is lava."

"When you said you played that game as a kid," Maisy growled, "I didn't ever think you had _actual_ magma rocks for your floor!"

Egil only chuckled and picked up his pace. They made their way through several dark tunnels and the temperature slowly began to drop to a bearable warmth. It was still so warm that Maisy's mind felt fuzzy and tired.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"My private chambers," he replied, "Don't worry, the temperature is regulated by a spell there. I got the idea from the thermostat in my apartment on Midgard. Sometimes you humans are clever creatures."

"Please Egil," she lowered her voice, "Please take me back to Asgard. Loki isn't going to kill me. I'm way more likely to die in a place made of ash and brimstone and crap than in Asgard."

"I won't even entertain the idea of taking you back," Egil said, pressing a kiss to her forehead, "You'll see, you'll love it here. And if you don't, we'll go back to Midgard as soon as the six months are up."

"Why do we even need to be here for that long? Can't we go back now?"

There was a far better chance of her escaping on earth than in a place where she couldn't even walk without shoes. If Egil was smart then he'd never give her shoes here and she'd never be able to run away. And she knew that her ex was a smart man.

"It's going to sound awful," Egil told her, "But it's because I need to train you to be by my side again, so you won't leave me and you won't get hurt."

"Train me?!" She snarled, "What am I? A dog?!"

"Calm down. You need to contain yourself until we get to my chambers. Anyone out here could hear you and they won't be as kind to you as I am."

"Hear me say what?"

"That you don't want to be reigned in," Egil whispered, looking around, "Many would take that as a challenge."

"Muspelheim people are downright disgusting," Maisy said, "I don't know how you pulled off the nice guy act for so long, Egil. Especially since in reality you're such a jerk."

"Ah, here we are," he opened a metal door and stepped in. Relief from the heat was instant and Maisy took a deep breath of cool air. Egil closed the door behind him and set her down on the almost cold rock floor. The cuts on her feet still stung, and left bloody footprints, but the rock felt nice on the wounds.

She took a moment to enjoy the lovely temperature before using everything Sif had taught her about throwing a punch. Egil's nose snapped with a satisfying crunch and blood began pouring out.

"Now take me back!" She shouted.

" _Maisy!_ " Egil spat, blood splattering, "I've done this for your own well being! You could at least show a little gratitude!"

"Gratitude?! Ha! For kidnapping me and taking me away from my friends?! I don't think so!"

"I've had the same vision twice more," Egil said harshly, "Each time you are lying in a pool of blood with _him_ standing over you. He'll kill you if you don't stay with me!"

"He won't kill me," Maisy insisted, "He's my friend! Why would he save my life if he just was going to kill me?"

"Maybe he won't do it on purpose, and if he does, maybe it won't be an easy decision for him, maybe he won't even be the one physically doing it, but he _will_ cause your death if we aren't careful," he waved his hand over his nose and it snapped back into place and the blood disappeared, "Until the visions stop you won't be leaving these chambers."

"Oh yeah?" Maisy challenged, "And what exactly will we be doing in these chambers until those visions go away? Are you going to do what your boss said and 'enjoy me'?" She almost gagged saying it, "Cause if you think you're going to get away with _that_ you've got another thing coming, Egil Belison!"

"I wouldn't do that to you," he stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder, "You know me. I wouldn't be so callous."

"I don't know you. Not anymore," she said, fists clenched, "How should I know what you would and wouldn't do to me? You kidnapped me, didn't you?"

"You're tired and hurt," Egil announced, "You need sleep. We can talk more in the morning. The bed is right this way."

He led her through a side door and they stepped into a lavishly furnished bedroom. She refused to move past the doorway.

"I am not tired anyway," Egil said, turning to leave, "You'll have the room all to yourself."

"Can I also have the key to this door?"

"No."

"Then don't expect me to fall asleep," she stepped into the room and sat in a chair by a fireplace.

"You need rest," Egil insisted, going over to her and touching her forehead, "Sleep."

Before Maisy realized what was happening, she drifted to sleep, slumping forward. The last things she remembered before her eyes closed were Egil catching her and carrying her to the bed. He set her down and kissed her gently and then she was in the realm of dreams.

Through the night she was fairly certain she woke up twice, but her vision was so out of focus and her head pounded so much that it could have very well been a nightmare both times.

The first time she remembered shouting out for Loki, pleading with him to help her. There was no response from the prince of Asgard, but Egil came in and quieted her down with calming words and another sleep spell.

The second time she woke Egil was holding her head in his hands, sitting next to her. She vaguely recalled muttering something at him and he chuckled. Then his fingers wove through her hair and he gave her another kiss. The kiss was calming and agonizing at the same time and she quickly fell back to sleep even though everything in her was fighting to stay conscious.

When she woke up in the morning Egil was nowhere to be found and she wasn't even sure if it was morning since there were no windows. She got out of the bed and went to the room Egil had told her was a "non-barbaric restroom", claiming all the other restrooms on Muspelheim were pretty primitive. Before she could do what she'd come to she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and had to lean on the sink for support. It was a minor problem, really, but she felt like a part of herself had been taken away.

Now she knew what Egil had been doing when he ran his fingers through her hair. Every bit of green had vanished from her short locks. All of it had turned a midnight black.

Maisy felt like throwing a tantrum and breaking everything in sight. She felt like running out and letting the stupid lava burn her feet. She wanted to hit Egil again. But she settled for staring at her reflection and sobbing until she could sob no more. Egil knocked on the door once to ask if she was alright, but she didn't answer. She wouldn't give him the chance to comfort her.

There was only one person whose comfort she wanted and he was in another realm, probably getting ready to marry a girl he thought was her. And if Blaze played things right then Loki would forever think she was Maisy and the real Maisy would be stuck in this hellhole until Egil thought she was ready to leave.

And time would pass and no one would ever save her because Blaze was stealing the life she wanted. The life with the man she wanted. And there was nothing Maisy could do.

Just when she thought she was out of tears a few more trickled down her face.

 **A note from the author: I warned you! By the way, if anyone thinks anything in this story might need a trigger warning of any sorts, please let me know. I don't think any of it does, but I am not triggered by much so if you think it might need one please tell me so I can add one. :)**

 **Pillow Fort of Denial** **(or PFoD)** **update: Ceres Friggadottir is bringing more pillows and blankets to help fortify the walls against angst and drama and Ninja Squirrel has brought a large pile of cookies so that you have provisions. We shall see how this form of protection works... I fear it may not be enough to protect you from the upcoming chapters, but I suspect it will survive.**

 **A huge thank you to everyone who is reading! You are all amazing and it is awesome to know that people actually like my writing! :)**

 **And, as always, the shout out thank you to my favorite reviewers (all of them): Ceres Friggadottir, Ninja Squirrel (thank you! Angst is a hard one for me, but I'm glad you think it's okay!), ferbette (patience, patience, all in due time), Kaikitty165 (welcome to the reviewing family! We're so glad you're here, but please don't feel obligated to review if you don't feel like it! Just knowing you're reading makes me very happy!), Eliza (I'm a mean author, I can't help it *shrugs evilly*), and TripleLLL (who probably won't see this for a while, since they are a ways back, but when you do see it: thank you! Hope you are enjoying the story still!). You are all so wonderful to me and I am very grateful for your kind words and... cries of anguish. ;)**

 **TTFN!**


	87. Chapter 87

Loki and Blaze walked arm in arm, though it made his skin crawl. They were on their way to speak with the Avengers and let them know that Maisy had won the competition by default, seeing as she was the only one not banished, dead, disqualified, or dropped out. They were doing this mostly so that the Avengers could be thanked for their services and sent on their way. Midgard wouldn't defend itself after all.

Loki was also hoping that the Avengers would try their hardest to get him and "Maisy" to split up. Maybe there was some way they could convince Blaze to leave, though it was a long shot. He, sadly, could not risk telling Earth's Mightiest Pests that Blaze and Maisy had swapped places because he could barely trust Thor with that information. Tony Stark had kept his secret identity secret for about five seconds from what the trickster had heard. He probably would be able to keep Blaze's for about two.

It was up to Loki to save the day. Which was unfortunate, since he had much more experience in creating problems than fixing them.

They arrived at the meeting place - the dining room in which the real Maisy had killed Drin - and the Avengers were smiling cheerfully at Blaze. After they gave the news that Maisy had won, the Avengers all surrounded the imposter and gave her so many hugs that Blaze began to look uncomfortable and turn to Loki for help. He ignored her completely.

"This is great!" Stark exclaimed, "You won by default and that is the best kind of winning!"

"Sure is," Blaze replied with a forced smile.

"So that fire chick was a criminal?" Barton asked.

"Guess so."

"I'm not surprised. She was kind of psycho."

"Total nut job," Romanoff agreed, putting a hand on Blaze's shoulder. Loki briefly wondered if the assassin had already figured out that this girl was a fake. He wouldn't put it past her and he could tell that she knew something was off, but he didn't think she knew exactly what was going on.

"Right," Blaze's smile dimmed, "And, wow, _Aoiba_ , huh? Murder? Yikes!"

"Crazy past few days we've had," Romanoff shook her head, "But it's all over now."

"Yepper doodles!" Blaze replied, probably doing her utmost to sound like Maisy, but coming off as more of a terrifying children's entertainer.

"So Loki," Rogers said, "When's the wedding?"

"I'm sure Odin will let us all know soon enough," Loki rolled his eyes, "And I suppose you'd all like to be invited?"

"Well, duh!" Stark reached as high as he was able to put his arm around Loki's shoulders, "Especially if there is an open bar!"

"Tony, no," Rogers muttered.

"And you're _sure_ you want to go through with this, Maisy?" Romanoff asked, watching the other woman's reaction closely.

"Why wouldn't I be sure?" Her eyelashes fluttered with such speed it was surprising she didn't lift off the ground. Loki tried not to winced when she gave him a hug, "I'm super duper mega uber excited!"

"To be marrying a mass murderer."

"Uh…" Blaze blinked, "I'm technically already married to him anyway. And you don't know him like I do."

"I know he forced me into killing people," Barton piped up and suddenly the whole atmosphere changed.

Loki knew that this is what they'd been planning. They wanted to expose everything he'd done to Maisy to get her to turn on him. It didn't matter if they barely knew her, they couldn't let anyone fall in love with a monster like him. Luckily, Maisy wasn't actually here today. Well, it wasn't so lucky, but if he had to put an optimistic spin on his current predicament it was that the Avengers could do nothing to deter Maisy from staying with him.

"That sucks," Blaze replied, "But I'm sure he's changed and matured as a person."

"He tried to take over our planet by using an alien army!" Barton protested, "He controlled dozens of good agents into killing each other! And he laughed about it!"

"Well," Blaze's voice was too cheerful, "Nobody's perfect."

"Maisy, we can find another way. You don't need to stay with him," Rogers said, putting his hand gently on her shoulder, "We'll bargain with Odin if we have to."

"No, no!" Blaze shook his hand off, "Loki is great. I am going to stay with him."

Loki wondered just how far he could push Blaze's fake loyalty to him. She knew she needed to defend him because that's what she thought Maisy would do. And if she agreed with the Avengers they would try to find a way to take her back to earth, which she couldn't let happen. So she had to argue that Loki was a changed man and ultimately a good person. But just how far was she willing to go to convince the Avengers that she loved him?

"He's a madman!" Barton exclaimed, "You can't seriously want to stay with him!"

"He's not a madman! He's my husband and I'm sticking by him," Blaze replied, looking irritated. Evidently she'd thought everyone would support her now that she was Maisy.

"Maybe they are right," Loki finally spoke up, making his voice heavy with emotion. Blaze looked instantly suspicious, "You know what I did to Midgard and you kindly looked past it. But I can't keep lying to you about just how horrible I truly am."

"I'm sure it can't be much worse than offing a bunch of Midgardians," Blaze replied hurriedly, "You don't need to-"

Loki showed them all his Jotun form. The Avengers raised a few brows, but said nothing. Blaze wrinkled her nose in disgust, raised to hate Frost Giants just like anyone else of Asgardian blood.

"I killed many of my own people a few years back," Loki admitted. The real Maisy already knew that he'd killed some Jotuns, though she didn't know that he was one of them, "I killed them because I thought it would be fun."

He'd killed them to impress Odin, actually, but he was trying to make himself look bad at the moment. And nothing looked as bad as evil for the sake of evil or entertainment.

"And you know what's worse," Loki sneered, "I'd do it all again. I'd kill every human and every Jotun again. I don't feel any remorse at all."

"Wow," Stark was frowning at him along with the scowls of his team mates. Loki was glad Thor hadn't come yet or he might have been stupid enough to believe the lies and toss Loki in a cell again.

"See, Maisy, this guy is insane!" Barton exclaimed, "You need to get away from him."

"The Frost Giants were all murderers anyway," she replied.

"I also occasionally drown kittens for a chuckle," Loki added solemnly.

"Who even likes cats, am I right?" Blaze laughed nervously.

"And puppies."

"Okay, um, _wow_ ," she gave him a genuine look of revulsion, "That's pretty bad, but I still love-"

"The last girl I dated ended up gutted in a ditch," he wanted to smile so badly, but he kept it under control.

"Coincidence, I'm sure! You didn't-"

"I think I still have her heart in a box somewhere."

"Dude!" Barton was giving him the most disgusted look he'd ever seen in his life, "There is something seriously wrong with you!"

"Haha," Blaze laughed nervously, "He's joking, guys, I'm sure he's joking."

"When I was invading New York I went out of my way to hit an old woman crossing the street with my chariot," Loki paused, "And then, when she got up, I hit her again and she went flying into a window."

Blaze was just staring at him now.

"I doubt she survived," Loki wiped away a fake tear, "And I blasted a family of ducklings with my scepter just to watch the feathers explode everywhere."

"Not the ducklings," Blaze murmured, eyes wide.

"Every last duckling," Loki nodded, "Even the one with the adorable limp."

The room was so quiet you could have heard a gnat pass gas. Everyone was staring at Loki with new found horror. Loki shrugged and reverted to the form he normally wore. When he looked at Blaze her expression was a mixture of awe and fear. Then it seemed to dawn on her what he was up to and anger showed up as well. There was no way she could defend his actions now. Not after the list of things he'd just "admitted" to. He was untenable.

Blaze thought of a way around this, apparently, because rather than answer to the claims he'd just made, she only smiled. Loki took a step back, but he wasn't quick enough to avoid her when she launched herself into his arms. Just like she'd done at the Bridal Procession, her grabbed his face and kissed him forcefully.

When she let go the Avengers were filled with outrage and confusion. Blaze turned to them and smirked. They gaped at her and she gave a little taunting curtsy.

"I've always had a thing for the bad boys."

Loki tried his best not to wipe his mouth in disgust and he looked around the room to gauge reactions. Everyone looked horrified, but Black Widow looked smug. As if she'd just had a theory confirmed. Perhaps she'd do something about it, since she clearly knew Maisy wasn't Maisy.

However, it didn't take long for the Avengers to give hasty goodbyes and depart. They claimed they were leaving right away and with them they were taking Loki's hope of getting rid of Blaze. Natasha gave Loki a knowing look before she exited, but did nothing. When they left the room Blaze turned to Loki and lifted her hand as if to slap him. He caught her wrist and pulled her close before she could.

"I think our next and _last_ kiss will be at the wedding," Loki snarled at her.

"You ever try to get rid of me again and I'll blow the Vault to Valhalla and make sure Maisy follows along shortly!" Blaze growled right back.

"Keep your hands and lips to yourself and we have a deal," Loki lied. He'd never stop trying to get rid of her. Not until she was gone.

"I hope those Avengers are leaving like they said," Blaze grumbled, "Or else we're going to have a big problem on our hands. They aren't invited to the wedding, by the way."

"Good, they are no friends of mine."

They stared each other down for a few moments before Blaze's wicked smile returned. She bowed to him and turned to head for the door.

"Well played, trickster. You nearly had me there."

"I still might. The Widow isn't going to let that stunt slide. She knows something is going on. Mark my words, she'll come back to bite us."

"Well then," Blaze shrugged, "I guess I'll just have to kill her."

The girl stalked off and Loki smirked.

"I'd like to see you try."

* * *

"Heimdall," Natasha said quietly after her teammates had all jumped through the portal. The golden eyed Gatekeeper turned to look at her with a raised brow.

"Natalia Romanova," he said, "The Black Widow."

"I know you know all my dirty little secrets," she waved her hand, "I'm not concerned with that right now."

"Then what troubles your mind?"

"I can't say much," she crossed her arms, "And I don't have proof, but when Loki or someone sent by Loki asks to go to Muspelheim - or earth - you should let him."

"If the Allfather allows."

"You and I are a lot alike, Heimdall," Natasha said, not even trying to layer on a beguiling facade. He'd see through it. "We both know more than we should. And you know that I'm right. You also know that from earth I won't be able to do anything about it."

"I do not see why I should go against my king to help a known criminal. Even if a fellow secret monger tips me off."

"I hate Loki as much as the next person, but I know he cares about Maisy Sichore. I know _you_ aren't totally heartless. So if Loki or one of his pals wants to go to Muspelheim any time in the near future, you better damn well send him to Muspelheim."

The two stared each other down for such a long time that any witnesses might have thought they'd turned to stone. Finally, the Gatekeeper nodded and gestured to the portal.

"Safe travels."

Natasha only nodded.

 **A note from the author: This chapter is somewhat of a peace offering. Hopefully you got at least a chuckle from Loki's** **shenanigans** **and it has fortified you for the chapters to come (because, like a bad bruise, it will get worse before it gets better, trust me I bruise easily). Speaking of fortifications...**

 **PFoD update: Ceres Friggadottir may Odin sleep until the end of the drama, Ninja Squirrel has passed out stuffed animals to aide in the comforting process, MetallicarBaby has joined the fort, ferbette has proposed an addition to the fort (a ball pit that I am not allowed into, or else risk punishment by being pummeled by marshmallows), and CheetahLover has brought tissues for all (I'm not saying you're going to** ** _need_** **the tissues, but let's just say... you might be thanking CheetahLover in the near future). I am afraid the onslaught of angst will continue, so be safe in the pillow fort!**

 **Once again, I would like to take a moment to thank everyone for reading, it really does mean a lot to me that you have stuck with me through 87 chapters of fanfic! You guys are the best readers on the whole of this site.**

 **AND A BIG, HUGE, MASSIVE THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO REVIEWED: Ceres Friggadottir, Ninja Squirrel, Brahmasmi (you might have to wait a while... just saying ;)), MetallicarBaby (your review made me so happy! It has been a great pleasure ripping your heart out and I will certainly check out your stories soon!), the guest reviewer (no hablo mucho Español, pero estoy de acuerdo con tu sobre Egil. él es muy malo), ferbette (aw man, it's going to be a while before I get to play in the pillow fort and ball pit...), yellowroseofthenw, and CheetahLover (let them be together? hmm, I'll consider it ;)). You guys are the absolute best and I love you all!**

 **Have a fantastic day!**


	88. Chapter 88

**Just to be safe, I want to put a TRIGGER WARNING on this chapter (I don't know if it's triggering or not, but just in case) for abusive relationships and just abuse in general. Thank you.**

There was a whole dining room off of Egil's main room. It was dark but for the flickering fireplace along the wall. Almost everything was black except for a few bronze accents that glinted mysteriously. Even though she thought it was kind of a cool room with a sort of goth vibe, Maisy hated it. She hated that the food was brought in by silent servants who glared at her. She hated that, even though there was a whole long table, Egil sat right next to her and kept bumping elbows with her. She hated that she was wearing the stupid rust colored top and black pants that he'd given her because the colors reminded her too much of her current environment. Most of all, she hated that there was no way out.

Egil had locked the doors to the dining room after the servants left and he'd tucked the key in his pants pocket. The only way Maisy could get the key would to be very fresh with him and there was no way she was doing that. So she sat quietly with her arms crossed and refused to eat. It was a stupid thing to do in protest. She was going to need strength if she was going to escape ever. Still, she needed to do _something_ to show how unhappy she was and this was the only thing she could think of at the moment. It, sadly, did not have the desired effect on Egil.

Rather than yell at her to obey him and eat as she wanted him to - she only wanted another reason to be pissed at him - he watched her with concern and commented on how good his own food was, trying to convince her to take a bite. He gently coaxed and reminded her that she hadn't had anything to eat since the previous night when she'd been in Asgard. She was getting close to twenty-four hours without food and she was starting to feel sick because of it.

She didn't even take a nibble.

"Maisy, eat something," Egil pleaded with her, "Anything. Just a morsel! You'll be able to think more clearly when you do. And I know you must be hungry."

"Will I think 'more clearly' because you snuck one of those glowing orb things in my food? Am I going to be your puppet the minute I take a bite?"

"No," he said quietly, "I'm sorry I ever tried that. I was panicked and angry. Will you forgive me?"

Maisy normally couldn't help but say "yes" whenever someone asked her to forgive them. It was a reflex more than anything. And usually when people humbled themselves enough to ask for forgiveness they meant their apology. So it was a great struggle for her to keep from saying she forgave Egil, even though she knew that was something she could never let him off the hook for.

"No."

He looked like she'd hit him again. A whole range of emotions flashed across his face, lingering the longest on hurt, but ending on anger. This almost made her smile. If he got angry then they could start yelling. And though she normally hated conflict - hated the sick feeling it left in her gut - she wanted nothing more in that moment than to get into another screaming match.

"Just," his voice calmed, "Just eat something, please."

That started off a minute long internal debate in Maisy's mind. Her impulses said to pick up her plate of food and shove it in Egil's face. Then, when he was freaking out, she could grab the key, grab the spare boots Egil hat left out in the main room, and make a run for it. Maybe she could convince Surtur to send her home. Her impulse control told her that throwing food at people was childish and probably wouldn't work as well as she hoped.

So she grabbed her fork and stabbed a piece of something covered in sauce. She started eating and found that it was actually delicious food. That made her hate it even more. Once she'd finished her plate full she saw that Egil was smiling triumphantly and she forgot impulse control for a minute. She dumped the excess juices and sauces onto his lap causing him to yelp in surprise.

Finally he reacted how she wanted him to. He snatched the plate and threw it across the room and into the fireplace, then he took her wrist and slammed it down on the table, his face contorting in rage. Maisy might have been having a fit of hysteria, but she burst into laughter and couldn't stop until he grabbed her other wrist and used it to pull her closer to him. Her laughter died out when his face got too close for comfort.

"What's gotten into you?" He growled softly, "Where is my sensible, kind, loving Maisy?"

"Same place as the supportive, joking, and sweet Egil, I guess."

"Six months isn't as long as one might think," Egil mused, eyes slits, "If we're to make any progress we'd better get to work now."

"What? With your 'training' thing?" Maisy tried to pull back, but as always with these other wordly men, his grip was too strong for her to break out of. It really sucked that all of these alien guys always had the grip of iron thing that she'd only ever read about in books. There was no give at all and she might as well have been struggling against iron chains.

"Exactly," he reeled her in closer and leaned down, "If you're going to keep acting stupidly then I'm going to do something you don't like every time you do something stupid."

Just like that, he kissed her firmly and when he let go she sputtered with outrage. If her hands had been free she would have slapped him. And when he finally let go of her wrists that's exactly what she did. He didn't even react to the slap before grabbing her face and kissing her again. When he let go this time he was grinning.

"Dare you to slap me again. See what happens."

"You are disgusting! You know that?!" She shoved her chair back and stood up. She glared down at him and he only smiled back, "Seriously, I know we were all bored during those endless seminars in undergrad about avoiding abusive relationships, but didn't you pick up anything?!"

"This is for your own good."

"Shut the hell up, Egil!" She slammed her palm down on the table, "You don't know what's good for me! How many times do I have to tell you that I am an adult before you understand what that means?!"

He was on his feet now too and there was a storm brewing behind his eyes. Maisy didn't care. She was on a rampage and she wasn't about to be talked down.

"Maisy, I know you're an adult," he cupped her face in his hands and drew her close, "But you are also a Midgardian. Your kind does not understand the intricacies of the universe. You'll get yourself killed because you don't believe in visions. Anyone else in the galaxy would listen to a Vanir's foresight! _Anyone!_ But if you tell a Midgardian their fate they'll challenge it just because they don't like the principle!"

"Stop squishing my face, jerk," Maisy was successful in slipping back this time, "What are you saying about us humans, huh? Are you saying we're too dumb to know what's good for us?"

"That is _exactly_ what I'm saying!" he exclaimed and if she hadn't been afraid of the consequences she would have hit him again, "And I spent years on earth getting to know the bright, young minds of your race. But sometimes even the smartest of your kind are complete dunces next to the rest of the universe!"

"Oh so I'm a dunce?! Is that what you're saying?!"

"You know I didn't mean it like that."

"I think I'm starting to get this gist of it," Maisy took a step back and clenched her fists, "You think I'm like some kind of pet that doesn't know what's good for me because I'm too dumb to understand how things work!"

"You are not a pet," he snapped, "Stop rephrasing my words!"

"Then stop calling me stupid!"

"I am only saying that in some cases - like in the case of a prophetic vision - I know more than you do. And evidently I am the only one apart from your crazed father who cares to protect you," his fists clenched and unclenched, "And out of him and I, I'm the one capable of actually doing it."

"Fine!" Maisy threw her hands in the air, "You want to protect me! I get it! Let's say there is actual danger to protect me from, why the hell do you have to be such a creep about 'saving' me? We broke up! We're done. Forget this romance stuff and just protect me from whatever I need protection from!"

"Oh love," he took a few steps closer and his form seemed bigger than usual, more intimidating, "Then how would you ever know that you belong to me?"

"I don't belong to you," she felt cornered and her voice came out as more of a squeak.

"But you do. And I am never letting you go again," he took her chin in his fingers and his eyes looked like they were pitying her Midgardian stupidity, "You'll be mine for eternity and I just need to show you that."

He slowly moved in and Maisy almost let him kiss her a third time, but she turned away at the last second, wrenching her chin from his fingers, and he kissed her cheek instead. She glared at him when he backed up to look at her. Impulse control gone once more, she spat on his face.

"You know, when you first showed up in Asgard I still loved you. I knew I couldn't be with you, but I loved you. I think I still had _some_ good feelings for you up until these last few minutes. But now..." she shook her head and tried not to let any tears show, "Now I _hate_ you."

"Maisy-"

"You can try to get me to cooperate all you want, Egil, but I am never going to stop trying to get away from you. I'll never stop until I'm dead."

"You're just saying that because he has captured your heart. He's convinced you to come running to him like a well trained dog - which you are not!"

"I'm not fighting to get to him," Maisy said, though at this moment she would very, very much like to get back to Loki, "I'm just fighting to get away from _you_."

 **A note from the author: I told you more angst was coming! And we're not in the clear yet, friends! Don't worry, it shan't be** ** _too_** **long. Hopefully. Possibly. I mean... the sun** ** _will_** **shine on us again. ;)**

 **PFoD update: Ninja Squirrel is threatening to leave the safety of the fort and seek out Egil (and castrate him with an icicle apparently) if I do not do something to him soon. The ball pit is being enjoyed by all, I'm sure.**

 **THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING! I AM STARTING TO RUN OUT OF WORDS TO EXPRESS HOW GRATEFUL I AM TO ALL THE LOVELIES WHO CONTINUE TO READ SO INSTEAD OF THINKING SOMETHING SPECIAL TO SAY I PUT IT ALL IN CAPS AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL SHOW YOU HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE YOU.**

 **And to the amazing reviewers, a big hurrah and thank you as well: Ninja Squirrel (this isn't said until a few chapters in the future, but I figured that if Loki has enough magic to conceal things from Heimdall then Egil might too, so, yes, he covering his tracks from the all seeing gatekeeper of Asgard), Ceres Friggadottir (I'm glad I made you chuckle! And I agree that Maisy would be none too happy with the lies Loki told), darkangelynn5 (you are right, more Avengers probably should have noticed the problem, however, I think they are a little bit blind when it concerns Loki and on top of that, they don't know Maisy super well, but we shall see!) the guest reviewer (no puedo parar, soy muy malvado jaja! ;)), xlokiswolfX (you're review made me laugh really hard, but I felt bad about it! That poor duck! I'm glad you thought last chapter was funny enough to warrant a review! I am always happy to hear from the readers! :D), and CheetahLover (awww, thanks! After I'd written that bit I got to thinking it would be cool if Heimdall and Natasha could chat some more - they sadly, don't in this story - I think they would make interesting friends).**

 **TTFN! :)**


	89. Chapter 89

A whole month went by and Loki was astounded that no one else in the palace was bright enough to note that Maisy was acting completely differently. Not Sif, not Jane (though she had a reasonable excuse while she was recovering and she couldn't remember anything about when she'd been stabbed), not the Warriors Three, and not even Odin. The only person who would have noticed immediately had been taken out of the picture. Linn.

On a tearful evening, after the Avengers left, Linn had come to congratulate Maisy and probably squeal her little heart out. She was so excited that it made Loki want to yell the truth at her just so she wouldn't give her love to this woman who was not really her friend. But he couldn't and so Linn babbled at Blaze for a good fifteen minutes before the tears started.

Blaze had suddenly snapped at Linn to shut up and Loki had watched the laundress' expression fall into shock and hurt. The girl from Muspelheim proceeded to explain that she didn't want to see Linn anymore and that if she showed up in their room again she'd get fired. Loki watched the fear, anger, and sadness all pass through his friend's eyes. When she opened her mouth to ask for an explanation Blaze cut her off by shouting "get out" and pointing at the door. They hadn't seen the girl since and Blaze's secret was safe.

Since spending time with people who knew Maisy well was one sure fire way to have people figure out that Blaze was an imposter, the woman spent most of her time lounging in Loki's chambers. She didn't do much but sharpen her sword and exercise, so Loki left her alone most of the time. For the first two weeks of the month she'd try to flirt with him or tease him about the fact that Maisy was probably being warmed by Egil's embrace. However, when Loki ignored her every attempt to bait him she eventually limited her pestering to once a day at most.

The wedding plans were getting close to completion. The official planners kept asking Blaze what sort of Midgardian traditions she wanted to incorporate into the ceremony and reception, but since Blaze had no clue what happened at Midgardian weddings, she didn't have many answers for them. This led to much frustration for everyone and amusement for Loki.

"How is it, ma'am, that I know more about Midgardian weddings than an actual Midgardian?!" The chief planner exclaimed after Blaze said she had no idea why anyone would want to throw flowers at a group of single women.

"It's not like I've had a wedding before, now is it?" Blaze growled.

"Surely you've at least been to one! Or seen one on one of those television things!"

"Hmmph."

"Alright! Alright! Forget throwing the flowers," the planner rubbed her forehead and looked at her papers, "How about something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue?"

"Sure, sure!" Blaze probably was at a loss for what that meant, but she knew she needed to agree to some of the traditions that were suggesting.

"Great!" The planner looked relieved, "Your dress will be your something new, since Prince Loki told me you'd be designing it yourself, correct?"

Blaze glared at Loki at he winked.

"You told her _what_ , exactly?"

"My _darling_ ," Loki drawled, taking her hand, "I know how much you love to design and I thought since this was the most important dress you'll ever wear that you should be the one to make it!"

"How thoughtful," Blaze said through grit teeth, "Yes. Fine. I'll design a dress or whatever."

"Wonderful," the planner smiled, oblivious, "Now, I had this idea for the something old - but I know you seamstresses can be picky so I wanted to run it by you. Do you think that your design would work with a circlet?"

"What kind of circlet?" Blaze asked, eyebrow raised.

"Now, everyone knows, Loki, that you were close with your mother. I was thinking of asking Odin for permission to use one of the late Queen Frigga's circlets for Maisy to wear."

The idea of this imposter wearing _anything_ that belonged to his mother - a circlet, a dress, even a dirty old sock - made Loki furious and right as Blaze was saying "yes" he was giving an authoritative "no". The wedding planner looked between them in confusion.

"I'd love that," Blaze insisted, "It would be cool!"

"No. I think not. Leave it in the treasury and do not disturb it," Loki snapped.

"Alright," the planner winced, "We'll find something else to be the something old. Maisy, any mementos from your mother's wedding?"

"My mother?" Blaze looked at Loki, "Uh, well, honey bunch, you know what I told you about _my_ mother. I don't think it will work because of that…"

Loki sighed. He needed to help her, he supposed. If he didn't she might get caught and then Odin might execute her and then Surtur would return the favor with his hostage.

"Right, of course. Your mother left your family," Loki provided, "It would not bode well to use an artifact from a failed marriage."

"Exactly!" Blaze exclaimed.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the planner scratched something off one of her various lists. Probably the term "Bride's Mother" off the guest list, "How about you use a scrap of fabric from something old and sew it into the lining of the dress?"

"Sure, sounds good," Blaze waved her hand.

"Great. Something borrowed then?" The planner was still smiling, "Maybe from one of your friends on earth?"

"No, that won't work. I am not inviting any of them."

The planner blinked and then scratched off about twenty spaces on her chart. All of them probably said something along the lines of "Guest of the Bride".

"Perhaps something from Lady Sif then?"

"Works for me."

"Very well, I shall speak with her later, unless you would like to?"

"Have at it."

"And then something blue."

"Ah!" Blaze straightened up in her seat, "I've got it!"

"Oh yes?"

"I'm known for changing my hair to fantastical and obnoxiously bold colors! Blue for the wedding!"

"Oh."

"It's brilliant."

Loki rolled his eyes.

"Certainly," the planner nodded and her eyes widened a moment, "I guess that will work. Should we change the color scheme to match? We've already gotten everything in gold, green, and black, but if you really want…"

"Don't wear yourself out," Blaze snorted, "Leave everything how it is."

"Thank you," the planner sighed with relief, but Loki had been hoping Blaze was enough of a diva to want everything to match so it would possibly postpone the wedding more. Then again, she wasn't the only one known to have diva-like tendencies.

"No, no, no!"

"No?"

"It will look ridiculous if you have blue hair and everything else is themed the same colors! I won't have it! I simply won't have it!"

"Loki. It's _fine_ ," Blaze snarled.

"No it's not. It's my wedding too," he made eye contact, "And I want the colors to all go together!"

"Fine. Then we'll find something else for the the something blue!"

"Absolutely not! I love the idea of blue hair! I think it is creative, fun, and spunky," he nearly made himself sick patting her cheek, "Just like you. We'll have to change everything else to match!"

"Oh dear," the planner scribbled notes, "You're sure?"

"One hundred percent."

"Very well… we may have to change the date on the invitations. Will that be-"

"Not a problem. As long as it takes. Everything must be perfect." And that would give him more time to think of a way to rescue Maisy. It hurt his heart that it was taking him so long to come up with something and every time he pictured her with Egil he could have kicked himself, but he knew a perfect plan was necessary.

Blaze was looking at him like she dearly wanted to blow up the Vault, and possibly his head as well, but all she did was smile at the weary wedding planner. Once the woman had figured out a few more details with the "happy couple" she left, muttering to herself. As soon as she was gone Blaze smacked Loki's arm angrily and kicked her chair back.

"What was that?!"

"What can I say?" Loki chuckled, "I must have cold feet. Could be the Frost Giant thing."

"Ew, don't remind me," Blaze rubbed her face so much that the skin moved around creating grotesque expressions, "Blugh. Our kids are going to be monstrosities, I hope you realize. Part Asgardian, part elf, part Jotun - you part anything else?"

"No, but I did not realize your other half was elven. Light or dark?"

"Light," Blaze grunted, "My mother immigrated here from Alfheim because she had debts there. Course, to get here she had to go into a bit more debt. One thing led to another and what do you know? She's an indentured servant."

Loki was surprised that she'd shared that much with him. She never liked to give away information. Perhaps because she was so tired she was less guarded about her past.

"Like I said," she made a show of fake gagging, "Our kids are going to be beastly."

"Perhaps you're right. Let's not have any."

"Nice try," Blaze smirked, "I may think you're disgusting, but I've always wanted some brats of my own to spoil and stuff. Plus, they're part of the plan. So we're gonna have, like, five."

"Let's hope they're quintuplets."

"Why?"

"So we get five but only have to do the work of making one."

"Clever. Maybe I'll see if any witches know spells for that kind of thing," Blaze nodded, "Ugh, but it hurts me just thinking about carrying all five at once!"

"I'm sure."

"And don't worry too much, princey boy, I'm sure you'll be a decent father. Even if both _your_ real and adopted fathers treated you like crap."

"You aren't one to speak much on the subject of fathers, Gala."

"Aw, look at us bonding over daddy issues," she flounced over to the couch and draped herself over it dramatically, "But I bet I've got you beat when it comes to lousy brothers!"

"I won't disagree with you there," Loki nodded and stood.

"You know, he once brought me and a bunch of other servant kids to a fast moving creek in the woods and told us to look for kelpies."

"Did you find any?" Loki asked curiously. Kelpies were dangerous creatures that took the form of ponies, known for drowning people naive enough to climb on its back. Many children had been lost that way in the past.

"Worse!" Blaze exclaimed, "Instead of convincing us to ride kelpies, he threw us in himself! He laughed his head off while the younger kids were drowning and the older kids tried to help them swim!"

"The more I hear about Drin Tyrson the more I am surprised that no one killed him before Maisy did. Surely he must have pissed off thousands before her."

"He's always had his stupid father to protect him."

Loki agreed and then headed for the door. He and Thor had plans to meet in Thor's room and plot. They had already come up with several ideas to save Maisy, but the more they discussed those ideas the more they realized that they wouldn't work without causing a war. They needed to think of something soon. A whole month gone by and Loki could only imagine how Maisy felt. She probably thought that he'd abandoned her or that he couldn't tell the difference between her and Blaze.

"Hey! Where you going?" Blaze demanded when Loki opened the door, "Here I thought we were bonding."

"Odin has decided my probation will continue until the wedding. I perform menial tasks throughout the palace and people seem to think that will reform me," Loki lied with a shrug, "It is only until the wedding and then Odin said he will publicly pardon me."

That wasn't a lie and Loki was looking forward to taking up his old position in court. Even if it came with gossiping whispers and judgemental glares.

"Fine, whatever," Blaze rolled over, "I'm gonna nap so be quiet when you come back in and even quieter if you try to kill me in my sleep because I will kill you back."

"Of course," he rolled his eyes and took great pleasure in leaving the door just a crack open as he left. Blaze would never leave it open because it was a risk that someone would get in quietly. She'd have to get up off the couch, where she was already comfortably lying down, and close it. Because Loki felt like being a jerk.

He made his way to Thor's room - a place that Blaze did not know the location of - and he knocked on the door. Thor had wanted to use a secret knock, but Loki didn't think there was much point. Still, when the crown prince opened the door he scowled.

"Use the secret knock! How else will I know it's you?"

"You could… open the door?" Loki suggested, "As you just did?"

"Insolent younger brother," Thor muttered and let said insolent brother in, "What is _she_ up to?"

"Napping. Or so she claims. I wouldn't be surprised if she tries to sneak around the palace a bit. Or if she does something dastardly while I'm out," Loki paused a moment, "Or she could truly be napping. The wedding planner may have worn her out."

"And how is the planning going?"

"I believe I have succeeded in postponing the date again."

"Are you certain we should keep putting it off? Perhaps Blaze will drop her guard after the wedding and it will be easier to find a way to rescue Maisy."

"I've come up with another plan," Loki answered, "It will occur the day of the wedding though, so I want to ensure that we have as much time as possible to work out the details."

"But then every minute we postpone the wedding is another moment Maisy must spend in Muspelheim!"

"I'm sure she will forgive us once we succeed in bringing her home," Loki dismissed.

"Every moment in Muspelheim is another moment in the arms of Egil Belison," Thor reminded and Loki froze. He _had_ thought of that, several times. It was one of the things that kept him up at night. But that was also what made him want to make sure this plan worked flawlessly. If he messed up he wasn't sure that Belison would let him have a second chance. And then Maisy would truly be gone.

Loki supposed he'd get over her easily enough, but he didn't really want to put himself through the pain of losing her if he could help it. Because there would be pain. At this point there was no denying the fact that he wanted to keep her as long as he was able. There was no use in putting aside his attachment to her at this point, even if she did not feel the same. A fresh wave of missing her washed over him thinking about it.

"Alright," he agreed reluctantly, "I'll take back this most recent postponement. We'll work with the time we have."

"Good," Thor put a hand on his brother's shoulder, "Maisy seems a patient woman, and I've no doubt she would forgive you. But Egil is a clever man. The longer he has her…"

"The more danger she is in of falling back in love?" Loki raised a brow, "Yes, I've thought of this before. Do you want to hear my new plan or not?"

"Certainly! As long as it involves less goats than the last one."

"No, no, you were right about the goats. They'd never do what I wanted them to anyway. This new plan does involve something else that eats pretty much everything in sight."

"What's that?"

"Volstagg."

 **A note from the author: Finally Loki's doing something, eh? Took him long enough. ;) As you might be able to tell, I am alternating the chapters between Loki and Maisy's POV so that we can see what's happening in both places and so that when things get too gloomy in Muspelheim, we can bounce over to Loki dealing with Blaze so we can have something a tad more lighthearted. Which means next chapter... may not be so fun.**

 **PFoD update: Ninja Squirrel and MetallicarBaby and preparing the weapons to charge Muspelheim and destroy Egil. It would seem the cookies and pillows of denial are no longer enough and they have decided to take matters into their own hands. Egil has told me that he fears for his life and I had to assure him that he gets a few more chapters before he should worry. He wants to be put in the character protection program, but I won't let him because he won't say that he's sorry.**

 **Thank you to everyone for reading! I am so glad you've stuck with us this far and hopefully I'll be able to keep you entertained enough to make you want to stay through to the end and possibly through the sequel I am planning! :)**

 **To my amazing reviewers, a thank you so large it would not fit on the page: FlyingFerret (who reviewed chapter 85, so I'm not sure if you are quite caught up yet, but cheers to you when you do catch up if you haven't already!), CheetahLover (Maisy might like being kind to people, but she won't take Egil's crap! And she might have learned a thing or two from Loki... :D), ferbette (sorry your weekend job sucks! Thank you for taking the time to review twice even with the hard job! Glad I could make you laugh!), Ninja Squirrel (Egil is fairly certain that Loki will be the cause of her death, even if he causes it indirectly. But you know Egil, he's a stubborn little turd with a one track mind.), and MetallicarBaby (Maven Calore! Oh my gosh, yes! I haven't read those books in forever and I still need to read** ** _War Storm_** **, but I bet my** **subconscious** **based Egil partly on Maven! Also, it would seem that you and Ninja Squirrel are both gearing up to take down Egil and that makes me so happy for some reason XD). Thank you all, you are amazing!**

 **Until next time!**


	90. Chapter 90

Life in Muspelheim was exactly as bad as Maisy knew it would be, but at least she didn't have to be around her ex twenty-four hours a day. He was frequently doing things for Surtur, which meant he wasn't always in his chambers with her. This had given her enough space to calm herself enough that she didn't feel like attacking him every time she saw him. In the month that had gone by since she'd been kidnapped, she'd almost come to terms with her new position, and with her mind settled she could focus it on escape plans.

She often thought of these plans and plots as she sat in one of the plush chairs in the chambers. Thinking and ignoring everything around her.

Egil walked into the main room with sweat on his brow and a gilded envelope in his hand. He was staring at the envelope intently, but when he saw Maisy watching him he tossed it into the fireplace. It seemed that fireplaces were always going here, even if the room remained the same cool temperature.

Maisy had abstained from speaking to Egil for the past two weeks as her latest form of rebellion. He'd retaliated by talking enough for both of them at night until she fell asleep listening. He always talked about the life they'd have together on Midgard and how wonderful everything would be when everything went the way he wanted it to. Since she hadn't used her voice in a while, he didn't hear her when she finally did speak, as she watched the envelope curl in on itself as it burned.

"What was in the envelope?" She repeated herself, louder. She'd already decided that if he made a big deal about her speaking finally she was going to shut up for another week or two.

"Nothing of importance," Egil smiled knowingly at her, coming around behind the chair she was sitting in and tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear, "An invitation."

"An invitation?" She stiffened. There was only one place that would be inviting Egil anywhere. At least, only one that would send such flashy envelopes, "Is it to the wedding?"

"What wedding, love?"

She twisted around in her seat and stared at him.

"You know what wedding, Egil."

"Blaze and Loki," Egil nodded, "Nothing of importance."

"You aren't going?"

"I'm undecided."

"You don't want to see Blaze get married?" Maisy tried.

"It won't be a really wedding anyway," he patted her cheek, "Since you and the trickster were already technically bound together. It is more of a ceremony for show."

"So they won't actually be married?"

"It's not important, love, you need to drop it," his voice took on a warning tone and Maisy felt her heart sink a little. She refused to give up though.

"Egil please," she grabbed his hand and held it softly, looking at him with wide eyes, "Please let me go to the wedding."

He burst into laughter and bent to kiss her forehead. She played along and laughed lightly, squeezing his hand lovingly. There was no way she was going to pull this off. She might have picked up a few things from Loki in the lying department, but her acting skills were still pretty much non existent.

"I know, it sounds stupid," she held his gaze and his hand without wavering, "It sounds like the last thing you'd do, right?"

"That is correct."

"But please, Egil, listen," she smiled at him but he only shook his head and started to walk away. Maisy didn't let go of his hand and tried to hold him back.

"No, Maisy. I don't care what brilliant reasoning you've come up with."

"Egil! Egil, wait!" She was pulled out of the chair and to her feet, "Just listen to me for a minute!"

"No."

"I will do anything you want if you just let me go! _Anything!_ "

"Anything?" He stopped and looked at her, actually considering for a moment, "Anything at all?"

"Yes," she knew she'd regret it, but she _needed_ to get to that wedding, "Anything you want. I'll do it without complaint or resistance."

"I don't think I believe you," he shook his head sadly, "Nice try though."

"Wait!" She raised her grip to around his elbow and hugged his arm, "C'mon, Egil, please! What's the harm? You disguise me as someone and we just go to watch the ceremony! Then we can leave right after!"

"You know I can't take you to Asgard. I won't risk getting you close to him. I had another vision last night. This time you ran into his arms and then my vision flashed to you, lying on the floor, dagger in your chest. How can I trust that you would keep away from him if we went?" Egil ran his free hand through her hair, "You will stay right here. And I won't go either so that I can keep you company."

"What if I _couldn't_ run into his arms?" Maisy took a deep breath. She hadn't wanted to play this card, but she just needed to get to Asgard, by any means possible, "What if you did that _Imperio_ Curse thing on me?"

"What curse?"

"You know," she let go of his arm and took a step back, "The mind control thing. With the glowing orb. What if you did that to me?"

"You want me to put you under my control?" He was looking at her incredulously and she didn't blame him. If she weren't so desperate to get out of Muspelheim she would have balked at the idea herself.

"I don't really want you to," she admitted, "But I want to go to that wedding. Just for, I don't know, closure or something. If I can see him marry her then maybe I'll be able to let him go more easily. And if I were your mindless zombie then it's not like I could escape, right?"

"You wouldn't be _mindless_ ," he was scratching his short beard in thought, "You'd still be able to make your own decisions, unless one of those decisions was to disobey me."

"And if you disguised me-"

"Ah, see, there is the flaw in the plan," Egil gave her a pitying smile, "Heimdall, the Gatekeeper, is one of the few beings in the universe that is capable of seeing almost everything that is happening in the present."

"Whoa."

"Indeed. It _is_ possible to hide things from his view if you know the right spells and are powerful enough to perform them. That is why we were about to escape Asgard and why Blaze has not yet been found out."

"Are you doing that right now?"

"Yes."

"That's crazy, that must be exhausting," she hadn't realized how powerful he was until now. She'd seen him and Loki and others do magic before but to know that he could hold a difficult spell across realms was insane. She wondered how it worked and if she could ever learn to do any magic. Given how poorly she'd done at making potions it might not be a good idea to learn.

"But you see, I could not just fabricate a disguise for you and bring you to Asgard as an entirely new person. To Heimdall right now it seems that you are Blaze and Blaze is you. I just hid your true selves from him. But if I give you a new random face then it will seem like Blaze vanished and some new person popped out of nowhere. Or he'll assume that you are just Blaze disguised as someone else trying to sneak back into Asgard."

"So swap me with someone else," Maisy suggested, "Make it look like someone who is staying here is Blaze and that I'm the other person!"

"I don't think you understand quite how complicated this process is magically speaking. I'm not sure that I'm powerful enough to hold three spells to hide you all from Heimdall and then also the one to control you," he drew her into a tight hug, "I'm sorry, love, but I'm not willing to risk it just for your closure."

"There is no way that I can see the wedding?" Maisy sighed.

"Perhaps one way. You have your cell phone, do you not?"

"Yeah, it was in my pocket when your people kidnapped me."

"What if I recorded the wedding for you? On your phone's camera?"

"I guess it's better than nothing," she replied into his chest. At least that way he'd actually go to the wedding and leave her with a little planning time while she was alone.

"I know how badly you want to leave this room, Maisy," he held her tighter and she wanted nothing more than to pull away now that her ruse was no longer needed. But if she got too feisty now he might think she was just using him.

"I do," she murmured, "It's so dark here. There's no sunlight. I feel like I'm going to die from lack of vitamin D or boredom."

"I know, I know," his voice was soft and calming and Maisy hated it, "But I promise. As soon as the visions stop I'll take you for a walk around Muspelheim. There isn't much sunlight through the smoke clouds up top, but if you climb high enough sometimes you can find a glimmering ray or two."

"Anything would be better than this windowless hole," she sighed, no need to fake the feeling of being trapped.

"Soon, love. I know it will be soon."

Maisy hoped she'd see the sun sooner than even he thought. If she could find a way out of here and get anywhere else she could feel the sun on her skin again and maybe, if she was clever, feel an embrace from someone she actually cared for.

 **A note from the author: Now they're both planning! Hurray! Between the two of them they should be able to figure out something, eh? We shall have to wait and see.**

 **PFoD update: Ninja Squirrel is waiting in the fort patiently with a shotgun, just in case Egil needs a warning shot, ferbette is offering skills with a bow and wants to join the hunt for Egil, and MetallicarBaby has expressed a desire to let loose the dogs of war. If Egil continues to be horrid he's got a whole lot of pain coming his way.**

 **As always, I am eternally grateful to those who are reading this story, which, if you're reading this, is you. Or maybe you are just hopping from author's note to author's note, which would be weird. But, in all seriousness, I am very pleased to have such dedicated readers for this story. :)**

 **And to my darling reviewers THANK YOU: CheetahLover (Thor and Loki are so much fun together! I love their brotherly relationship and how they constantly pester each other! It's so much fun to write!), Ninja Squirrel (Volstagg has a few tricks up his vast sleeves! Never fear! Have you ever watched the Beverly Hillbillies? Because the only way I can picture you sitting, waiting with a shot gun is like Granny from that show. She's great with a shotgun and I'll bet you will be too if Egil rears his head. Also, if I were the Asgardian wedding planner, I would be super grateful of your suggestions.), ferbette (Loki is the biggest diva in the nine realms, there is no doubt in my mind), and MetallicarBaby (aw! I'm glad to hear that you like Maisy better than Mare. I'm not really sure how I feel about Mare. I liked her in the first book, but she kinda went down hill in my opinion. Maven is the best, tbh. Character Protection Program for those nasty villains that the fans hate. Thanos is probably hiding there right now, just saying.). Thank you all so much for your continued support! I love you all! :)**

 **TTFN!**


	91. Chapter 91

Oh, how Egil loathed the idea of leaving her alone in Muspelheim. Even though he knew no one would dare harm someone under his protection, there was always the chance that she would be stupid enough to try and escape.

He didn't like to think of his Maisy as being as foolish as the rest of the Midgardians, but with the way she'd been acting lately, he wasn't so sure. Of course, he didn't love her any less because of it. There was nothing she could do that would make him love her any less and he knew it. Nestled deep inside his mind was a fire for her that would never be extinguished… and it was his own fault that the fire had been lit.

Centuries ago, he'd been cursed. He'd had too much fun with a woman he'd not known was a powerful sorceress and when he tried to leave her brokenhearted, as he'd left many others, she was angered. She'd cast a curse on him that had been too strong for him to break, but one that he was hardly aware of most of the time.

The sorceress had made it so that he'd never be able to leave another woman again, though she was through with him. If he fell in love with another after her then he would never fall out of love until months after the object of his affection died. And then it would happen again if he ever fell in love again.

Of course, knowing this, he tried to avoid falling in love with women as much as possible. But often times, a heart cannot be stopped. And he'd met Kelda.

He'd met her when visiting his mother's family on Vanaheim. She was a nymph of sorts, a guardian of a small stream. He'd tried to avoid her, but she liked him and the more time they spent together the more he fell in love. Until he'd been called away by Surtur.

While he was away from Kelda she consumed his thoughts, just as the sorceress had planned. Egil was already of a mind that when he found something or someone he liked he refused to let it go, and the curse made it ten times worse. His judgement was clouded by thoughts of her and his actions appalled others. But he never saw it as odd.

Surtur did, though. He was greatly annoyed at his lieutenant for being so distracted. He knew the only way to get Egil back on task was to make him fall out of love. So he sent assassins to Kelda and left her corpse in the stream that she guarded. Some said the water still ran red with her blood, though Egil could never bring himself to go check.

Since the love he felt for her did not end until three months later, Egil tried and nearly succeeded in killing the one he held responsible for his misery. Surtur was in the midst of fighting many battles at the time and he needed his lieutenant working for him. So once Egil was defeated, Surtur forgave him, used him, and then had him locked away until he fell out of love.

Egil swore never to fall for another woman again. Surtur thought the best way to keep this from happening was to send him where the women shouldn't tempt him. Midgard.

The people there were said to be stupid, slow, and ugly. And for a while Egil had thought so. He liked being in college with them because they were so moronic it was entertaining. And the ideas they came up with were more so. He made several "friends" and he had fun, trying to erase Kelda from his mind. He stayed on Midgard for a century, bouncing from country to country and school to school. It was the youth Surtur wanted monitored, to see if any could be used to forward the goals of Muspelheim. So Egil met many youngsters with bright ideas and little brains. He thought they were a fun way to waste time, but nothing more.

Until he'd met Maisy.

It was finals week of junior year when they'd both been studying at the library on campus at their New York school. Apparently they had a friend in common and they'd all been studying together quietly. Then the friend had to leave for work or class or something and it had just been Maisy and Egil, pouring over their books. They were in a private room and so could chat without disturbing others.

She'd awkwardly asked him what his major was and he'd replied art. In the years he'd been on Midgard in college he'd never done an art major before and he thought it was rather fun. Certainly easier than the chemistry major he'd gotten once. She was an art major too, planning on attending a fashion grad school. He didn't care that much at first, but then they'd got to talking about their insane art professors and all of the work they had to do before the end of the year. They chatted more and more, forgetting their studies momentarily and simply enjoying each other's company.

Then she'd done the unthinkable. She'd asked him on a date. To go get pizza from a place that many at their school frequented. He knew he'd never fall for a Midgardian, so he accepted. And they went on a few dates until the end of the school year. They didn't really make plans over the summer - she had her family to go back to and Egil didn't care enough at that point.

Then school started again. And senior year was when he fell in love. He didn't notice for a long time, but when they'd reunited he'd been glad and as the year progressed he knew it was too late to go back. Thus began their two and a half years of dating until his unfortunate vision had to throw everything off. By that point he was far too far gone and there was not going to be any going back. He swore he'd never lose her.

And he didn't intend to break that oath… even if she was married to another.

Of course, making her feel the same way again was going to be a long road. He was up for the challenge. Though it could be a stupid idea to leave her alone while he went to watch the wedding, he knew it had to be done. She had to get over Loki if she was ever going to be with Egil again.

He knew she was pining for him too, no matter what she claimed. And perhaps he'd have to take her up on her proposal when he returned. He was sure he could offer her something else in order to get her to promise him _anything_ again. That bargain was nearly too good for him to pass up and if it had been possible to take her to the wedding he might have just to collect on her end of the deal.

That was one of the fun things about her species. They always promised things as payment, but when time to collect came they always put up a fight. But he could magically bind her promise and then she truly would have to do anything he asked of her. He was already planning ways to get her to make the offer again. At the moment, he was considering threatening the life of that half Krylorian who followed her around.

If he brought Linn back with him when he returned from the wedding he was fairly certain he could get Maisy to do whatever he wished. She had too kind of a heart and it would be her downfall - at least in her eyes. Truly, the more she complied the closer she was to accepting her place. By his side was the highest place and honor, it would just take a few bumps to get there.

 **A note from the author: I got to thinking and I realized there wasn't a chapter that explained why Egil is the maniac that he is. So, I wrote one up. Hopefully it fits in with the rest of the story and isn't too** **boring. Now we know why he is so obsessed and crazy.**

 **By the way, I want to warn you that the chapter length gets a little bit... interesting from here on out. Next chapter is pretty normal length I'd say, but then there are a lot of little ones. Originally it was just going to be a few long chapters made up of all the pieces that are now short chapters, but then I had an idea. The climax chapter was only a few chapters away from being number 100, so I reworked a few things and now chapter 100 is either going to make or break this story. Because you have to go big or go home when you've got that many chapters, right? So I hope you are dreading/looking forward to that.**

 **PFoD update: Honestly, I think you just need to read the amazing review that Ninja Squirrel left to understand the current state of the Pillow Fort of Denial. Also, CheetahLover is bringing a pack of wolves (maybe the wolves can rip Egil limb from limb and then you all can cuddle with them afterward). Oh, and I forgot to mention, Egil and Drin Tyrson (yes, he's dead, but he's still afraid of the reviewers) are both trying to gain access to the Character Protection Program. Just thought you might want a heads up that there is someone else who needs a bit of hate... ;)**

 **Thank you so much for reading! You've stuck with me for 91 chapters and I hope you hang around for another... 12? Or so. I haven't counted. Don't worry, as I say, many of them are really quite short.**

 **REVIEWERS WHO ARE AMAZING AND DESERVE ALL THE THANKS: CheetahLover, MetallicarBaby (A few things: 1. I** _ **love**_ **the way you word things, the bit about Maisy's face being a "popular accessory as of late" was just so beautifully written and I hope you publish more to your stories soon because I need that writing style in my life. 2. Thanos is totally a raisin. Everyone says grape, but his wrinkly chin definitely makes him a raisin.), ferbette (** ** _Egil_** **quite likes the idea of a blank promise...), and Ninja Squirrel (oh my stars, your reviews are always so long and so wonderful! Thank you so much for all of the excitement surrounding the story! When you get excited I get excited and this whole thing is just so exciting! And thank you for calling my mind an enigma! I'm flattered!). You are all so wonderfully supportive and fantastic people all around! :D**

 **Until next time!**


	92. Chapter 92

The plan was brilliant and so far they hadn't been able to think of any gaping holes in it. Loki was pleased with this development and decided to go for a walk while he tried once more to see problems in his scheme. Sometimes getting away from Thor helped him think better.

As it stood, the plan was to let Volstagg in on the secret about Blaze and Maisy. They would have told Fandral, Hogun, and Sif as well, but Loki didn't want to trust Fandral with something so important and Thor respected that even if he disagreed. And they couldn't tell Hogun because even though he was silent, he was terrible at keeping secrets. After Thor had been banished for attacking Jotunheim Hogun had decided against keeping secrets from Odin ever again. And since Odin was the main person they didn't want finding out about the charade they couldn't tell him. The only reason they didn't tell Sif was because Thor thought she would be too furious about the situation to follow a plan. She could be remarkably stubborn when she wanted to and there was no guarantee that she wouldn't get so mad that she would just storm Muspelheim head on and try to kill everyone there. Sometimes her temper was worse than Thor's and that wouldn't help anyone out of this situation.

So Volstagg was the one the brothers had chosen to assist them. He was the best fit for the mission since he could be diplomatic when he wanted to and this was going to require some finesse.

He was meant to sneak into Muspelheim during the start of the wedding. This was another reason he was best for the mission, as he and Heimdall were on good terms. Once he got to Muspelheim he was to demand to be taken to Surtur. The plan would work best if Egil wasn't in Muspelheim at the time of the wedding, which was why Loki insisted that he be sent an invitation. Egil was smug enough that he probably couldn't resist going to see the culmination of his plots. If Egil wasn't there it would be much easier for Volstagg to convince Surtur of the merits of letting Maisy go. Since the fire giant didn't actually want the woman in his realm in the first place they assumed this would work.

And if it didn't… Volstagg would be told not to leave without her and Loki knew that the chubby warrior would not stop fighting until he succeeded. If Egil _was_ home, the plan would be the same, but Volstagg would have to argue against him and possibly fight against him. This was the weakest part of their plan, Loki was realizing and he knew he'd have to think up more back up plans for it.

While Volstagg reclaimed Maisy, Sif would covertly be told that there was some form of explosive in Odin's Vault. She wouldn't be told why or who put it there, but knowing Sif, she would have enough information to go find it anyway. If she was told to keep it quiet then she would easily be able to find whatever device Blaze had planted and disarm it.

Then came Loki's favorite part of the plan. Once Maisy was secured and the Vault bomb was defused then Blaze would have nothing left to protect her. And Loki would drive a knife through her heart. He almost hoped it would be at the altar where everyone could see it, since that would be the most dramatically satisfying.

And if everything went well after that, then Maisy would run into his arms and he'd kiss her soundly. She might swoon. Then, so that they didn't waste a perfectly good wedding, they'd put on the show or reveal to everyone that they were already married in any case. And then… well, he wasn't sure, but he was excited to find out what came next.

Loki grinned at the thought as he strolled through town. He would be rid of Blaze at last and he could _finally_ tell Maisy how he felt. Weakness be damned at this point, he just wanted to hold her in his arms.

As he walked and thought he found his way to the arena and was surprised to see that the scoreboard was still up. A line had been put through all of the names except Maisy's and people had covered the board in flowers. Next to the scoreboard he found another display that made him smile.

All of the embroidery samples were still hanging there, with the creator's names beneath them. Loki wouldn't have needed the names to guess whose was whose. From the time he'd spent with each of the ladies it wasn't that hard to figure out.

There was one made with just yellow thread and a cream background. The design was a simple, crude smiley face with the needle still hanging from the last stitch. From the amount of flowers and candles around this one Loki could easily surmise that it was Die-An's work.

The next one was an elegant piece showing elaborately stitched feather designs all in various shades of pink on a turquoise background. Someone had thrown a rotten vegetable at this one so apparently word of Aoiba's actions had gotten out.

Next to Aoiba's piece there was one that made Loki laugh now that the threat of having to marry this competitor was gone. Strings of every color were haphazardly stitched into the yellow fabric and their tails fluttered in the breeze. There was no distinguishable shape to the work, but it was amusing to look at. Tzefira clearly had no talent with a needle.

In contrast to Tzefira's mess there was a precise, but simple, piece next. The only colors were black and red on white fabric. The shape was not complicated, it was just a red circle surrounded by squiggly black lines. Even though it was simple it was not hard to guess what it was. The depiction of the Aether was probably just to taunt the people of Asgard and not to threaten them, now that Loki knew Melantha had no plans to reclaim it. The people had not taken the taunt well and the sampler had more splattered fruits on it than Aoiba's piece.

Blaze's was of the same quality as Die-An's but she'd tried a little harder to make a picture. It had just turned out horribly. Loki could only assume that she'd tried to show the golden spires of Asgard on the blue fabric, but she'd made the tallest one much, much taller than the others and it rather looked like a giant golden hand flipping someone off. To add more insult, she'd used orange thread profusely throughout, making it seem like Asgard was aflame. Loki rolled his eyes and wished he had a squishy tomato to throw at it.

He turned to the last piece and a small smirk crept onto his lips, bursting into a full smile when he took it in completely. It was defiant just like her hair had been and Loki was sure that Odin had a fit when he saw it. It was surprising that the people of Asgard had voted for it, even though it was obviously the best and most skillful piece out of the bunch.

"That's it," he laughed, not caring, who saw him, "I love that woman."

The piece was tricolored with black fabric and gold and green threads. The shape almost resembled a figure eight within a figure eight but not quite. The lines formed snakes that were biting each other's tails. Maisy had done such a good job with it that Loki wanted to take the piece back with him and make a pillow out of it or something. She'd stitched _his_ symbol, essentially claiming it had his stamp of approval. And it certainly did.

"Who knew Midgardians had talents in the old arts, right?" A passer by said, staring at the work, "That was a risky move on her part."

"Indeed," Loki glanced at the man, "Seeing as most people around here don't particularly like the second son of Asgard."

The man hadn't figured out who he was talking with yet.

"Maybe not, but it really is the best quality. Not to mention it is at least respectful to the realm," the man waved his hand at Blaze's, "Unlike this disgrace!"

"Mm, you heard the story behind that contestant, I'm sure," Loki had an idea.

"No," the man turned and his eyes widened when he realized who he'd been speaking with, "No, Your Highness."

"Well, Blaze of Muspelheim is quite the monstrosity in herself…"

"Do tell, sir."

He proceeded to relate her story to the man and a few other people who started listening in. He _may_ have added some details to her crime, since he wasn't entirely sure why she'd done what she had. All he knew was that she'd set a marketplace on fire because of something her father had done. Since Loki liked Tyr about as much as he liked Blaze, he didn't mind making both of them look terrible in his story.

A small crowd gathered around the prince as he enthusiastically related how Blaze had been Tyr's daughter and how she had demanded equality with Drin, her scoundrel half brother. Loki said that Tyr had blatantly refused her and since he wanted to prove a point he murdered Blaze's mother, who was the only innocent one in the group. Loki claimed that Drin had laughed and kicked the body until it was unrecognizable.

And Tyr had been absolutely dreadful, thinking he would kill Blaze as well, but Blaze had killed Tyr's wife - Drin's mother - in retaliation. The people ate that part of the story up. There was already great mystery surrounding Tyr's wife's death and many people had assumed that she'd actually run away. This was much juicier gossip. Loki told it with relish.

Then he finally got to the facts… with some embellishment, of course. He might have added the part about Tyr trying to kill Blaze once more, by chasing her into town like she was a fox and he a hunter. But the part where Blaze set the marketplace on fire was totally honest. Though, Loki didn't _actually_ know for sure whether or not Blaze laughed and claimed that she wanted to murder as many people as possible with her arson. And no one could _prove_ that she didn't stab a few unfortunate orphans while she was trying to escape the flames herself.

At this point Loki had conjured doubles of all of the players in the story and he was making them act out his tale. He might have made the evil expression on Blaze's face a little more evil and ugly than it was in real life, but she was still recognizable. He was having such a good time and the people watching were so enthralled that he considered writing a play to perform someday. He obviously had a talent for theater.

The audience wanted more after Loki had told of how Blaze had been ejected from Asgard by Odin. So, he told them how she'd thrown fireballs at Maisy when they'd been on the Rainbow Bridge. Now that Maisy was the champion people had taken a greater liking to her and they were outraged that anyone would attack someone so wonderful. Loki tried not to roll his eyes at how fickle the citizens of Asgard were when it came to Maisy. One minute they were suspicious of her and telling her to go home and then next they were defending her like one of their own.

Loki was about to concoct more villainous stories about Blaze, when the monster herself showed up and smiled scarily at him. She still had Maisy's face and since the people had just stoked their warm feelings for the Midgardian they cheered and congratulated her on her upcoming wedding. Blaze ignored them and gripped Loki's arm tightly.

"I think it's about time you came home, eh darling?"

"Oh my Norns!" A teenager in the audience called, "She calls him 'darling'! Isn't that just the sweetest thing?!"

A few people agreed.

"Of course, my dear," Loki smiled suavely at her and kissed her hand, causing a few of the younger people to scream their approval, "I was just telling the tale of how you escaped that deranged girl from Muspelheim on the Bridge. Quite the adventure, hmm?"

"Right," Blaze grunted, "That's great. Let's go."

Loki waved at his crowd and allowed Blaze to lead him away and back to the palace.

"I thought you said you were going back to work," Blaze seethed.

"And I thought you were taking another nap," he shot back, "What brings you to town?"

"One of my spies told me that you were trashing my name and I thought I'd come check it out," she punched his arm, "Why the hell were you trashing my name?!"

"You forget," Loki crossed his arms, "You aren't Blaze anymore. If your plan works then you'll be Maisy for the rest of your life, won't you?"

"That doesn't mean I want you putting down my real name!" She stopped walking and grabbed his collar, "Why are you doing that?!"

"Because," Loki seized her hands in a firm grip, squeezing so much that it must have hurt, but to any passersby it would look like two lovers holding hands, "Someday I might get the chance to kill you and I don't want anyone to feel anything but gladness when your corpse is laid out for everyone to see."

She blinked at him, looking genuinely confused and startled. He wondered how many times Egil had assured her that there was no possible way she could get killed on this mission. How secure she must have felt and now Loki had dashed that away. For all of her tough talk and even all the battles she must have been in she had thought herself invincible until this moment.

"The only one who might miss you when you are gone is Egil Belison, and he is to wrapped up in Maisy to spare your death more than a passing thought," Loki grinned at her, taking pleasure in scaring her. He hadn't been this cruel to someone in a while and it felt good to slip back into the role of villain.

"What? Just because of some slander you spread through those idiots? Surtur would kill you if you even tried to hurt me," she promised, "Surtur would send warriors to avenge me. Not to mention your precious Maisy would die!"

"Surtur wouldn't touch me," Loki scoffed, "I'm a nearly reformed prince of Asgard. You really think he wants to cause a war in the realms over one, measly, tiny, annoying girl? He might want to start Ragnarok, but is he willing to sacrifice Muspelheim to do so?"

Blaze wrenched her hands away from him and stormed into the palace and away from him. Loki nodded happily at the guards by the gate and casually strolled along the glittering corridors, reveling in the distress he'd caused Blaze. If she was going to have the gall to try and marry him, he was going to make sure every moment they spent together was a moment she regretted.

 **A note from the author: I was going to try and draw the embroidery pieces and post them on Deviantart, but then I remembered my drawing skills are limited to crudely drawn people and even more crudely drawn dogs. So you will just have to use your imaginations. Except, of course, for Maisy's piece which you only need to google "Loki's symbol" to see the general shape of. I'm sure many of you already know what it looks like. :)**

 **PFoD update: Ceres Friggadottir has chosen to Odinsleep to ignore feeling any pity for Egil and his sorry cursed butt. And Kaikitty165 has brought more pillows for the fort and some sharp with to stab Egil through the heart with when the hunt gets started. He doesn't stand a chance against the mighty forces of the Pillow Fort.**

 **Thank you so much to everyone for reading!**

 **And boat loads of thanks to the reviewers: CheetahLover (Linn wouldn't hesitate and now I'm thinking that in the sequel I may have to introduce her to Darcy and they can taser and pepper spray all the baddies together), Ceres Friggadottir, Kaikitty165 (glad you are still enjoying the story!), ferbette (*nods head sagely in agreement with all parts of your comment*), XinterestingX (holy smokes! Three days! *applauds you* Well, I hope you enjoy the upcoming chapters! I try to post once a day since I have the story completely written out already, but occasionally I'll get busy with that** **dreaded** **thing called real life. I am glad you are enjoying the story! God bless you as well! :)). YOU ARE ALL THE ABSOLUTE BEST.**

 **Until next time, my friends! Get ready for the weird chapter lengths to start.**


	93. Chapter 93

The day after Egil had told her he'd go to the wedding and record it for her she'd lost her patience with him when he'd friskily suggested that _they_ get married. The suggestion had come with long, lingering touches that had stoked Maisy's anger. It might have been because she was going slightly crazy in the dark underground rooms, or maybe she just didn't care enough to restrain herself anymore, but she'd grabbed a fire poker and attacked him with it, using everything Sif, Loki, and the Avengers had taught her about fighting.

As a result Egil bound her to a chair with magic declared that he wasn't going to the wedding and that he wouldn't record it for her. That had caused a whole other fight and Maisy finally got the screaming match she wanted. Their arguing had gotten so loud that one of the creepy fire-skeleton things had come to them and told them that they were upsetting the lindworms. Apparently the creatures were housed in a cave above Egil's rooms. Learning this, Maisy had shut up pretty quickly and stared at the ceiling in horror while Egil had scolded her.

She spent the whole next day trying to convince him to go to the wedding and he'd eventually agreed to it. However, he was still so pissed about her attacking him that he'd implemented several new ways to make Maisy's life misery. She had a bronze cuff just above each of her wrists and, to her horror, they magically linked to various matching chains around the rooms.

When Egil had magically melded them around her wrists she had tried again to kill him. She'd kicked, scratched, and hit him to no avail and the bronze cuffs were put in place. He'd apologized profusely the whole while and promised her that it was for the best, but she hadn't listened. He'd tried comparing them to the arm guards Wonder Woman wore, since they'd both enjoyed watching the old Lynda Carter television show when they'd been on earth. Maisy had told him that she wished she was Wonder Woman so that she could kick his ass more easily. He'd shut up after that.

Three weeks later she jerked awake from a nightmare involving lindworms and she still wasn't used to how the chain tugged at her left wrist as she tried to sit up. The bronze held her wrist above her head on the pillow while she slept, attached to the headboard. Egil had been true to his word and had not forced her into anything of a "romantic" nature, but he had wanted to make sure she stayed put while they both slept. It was ridiculously uncomfortable if she woke up before he did and couldn't get free.

"Egil," she said and he muttered something in his sleep that she couldn't make out. She was about to kick him awake, but then she remembered what day it was.

Wedding day.

Today was the day that Loki would be "marrying" Blaze.

And if Maisy wanted Egil to go to the wedding so that she could make an escape attempt she'd have be super nice to him. Nothing to make him upset at her or remind him that she'd rather be at the wedding herself - as the bride. Today would really put her acting skills to the test. Not to mention her patience.

Rather than kicking her ex awake, she slipped back down into a position that was more comfortable for her chained wrist and then she turned on her left side to face him. Trying not to cringe at herself, she reached over with her right hand, which was free of restraints, and stroked his cheek until his red eyes fluttered open. He looked at her in confusion for a moment before putting his hand on hers and then pressing a kiss to her palm.

"Good morning," he whispered against her skin.

"Morning."

"Am I dealing with _my_ Maisy today or homicidal Maisy?"

"Oh come on, I haven't tried to _kill_ you for three weeks," she smiled at him and hoped it wasn't too strained looking, "And the last time I slapped you was a whole four days ago."

"Fair enough," his hand skimmed over her bare arm and shoulder, dancing down to her thinly covered waist and then pulling her closer, "Still, you are being suspiciously sweet, love."

"I'm excited," she told him, "Today's the wedding, you know."

"I'd nearly forgotten," his fingers stiffened on her side and his eyes became steely.

"Don't freak out," she laughed lightly, "I'm not planning on going. I'm just glad that it will finally be over. Then maybe I can finally let it go. You're going to video it for me, right?"

"Certainly," he was still watching her suspiciously, "You want it to be over with? Won't that mean that you don't get want you want?"

"It's been almost two months since I left Asgard," she said quietly, "I think I'm starting to get over it."

"Oh really?"

"That's not to say I'm sure that I want to stay here," she gave him a cold look that she thought would help sell her story, "You've been pretty awful to me, Egil. But I willing to give you a second chance."

Before she even knew what was happening, both of his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her against him. He planted a kiss on her lips and she yelped. At her exclamation, Egil pulled back and looked at her worriedly.

"Sorry, um," she rattled her chained left wrist, "I'm a little bit stuck here, and it's not super comfortable."

"Of course," he tapped the chain and it dissolved and then turned his lips back toward her. She scooched back a bit.

"Hey, I said I'd give you a second chance," she kept her smile in place, "Maybe give me some space so we can see how well that works out, okay?"

He nodded and then sat up.

"Apologies," he couldn't stop smiling at her, "I am just so pleased that you are willing to give it another go. That's all I've wanted, Maisy, I just want you to have another chance to get to know the real me. Without my lies and disguises between us."

"Yeah, for sure," she sat up and rubbed her wrist, wishing the stupid bronze cuff wasn't still there. Maybe when she got home Loki could get them off for her, "I'm sorry it has taken me this long to realize that I needed to be more open minded about it."

"All is forgiven," he assured and Maisy scowled when he looked away. She wasn't the one who needed to ask for forgiveness. She wasn't the one who'd kidnapped and harmed someone that she claimed to care about.

They went through the morning cheerfully talking about what they'd do when they got back to Midgard. Maisy was enthusiastically replying to everything Egil suggested and trying her best to help him get ready for the wedding more quickly. It seemed to take him forever to put on his fancy tunic and then he asked her what he should do with his hair. Maisy tried not to groan as she giggled falsely as he experimented with his long black locks.

"You know, I miss the days when you'd put it in a man-bun and every little old lady we passed muttered about how ridiculous it looked. Do a man-bun."

"Man-bun, hmm?"

"C'mon, for old times sake!"

"Alright, fine," he smirked playfully at her and then looked at himself in the mirror as he carefully tied his hair up in a style that reminded Maisy very much of a ballerina. He turned around for her inspection and she gave him a thumbs up. He actually did look handsome, and seeing him looking so much like he did on earth sent a pang through her heart, but it quickly disappeared when she felt the weight of her cuffs.

"Great! You'd better get a move on, eh? Otherwise you'll be late."

"My sweet Maisy," his voice was teasing as he swaggered closer to her and took her chin in his fingers, "Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"You're going to be late," she warned him.

"I like to make an entrance," he moved a little closer and Maisy finally figured out a way to get him moving more quickly. She grabbed his face and kissed him forcefully. Right as he was getting into it, she pushed him away with what she hoped looked like a playful, coy smile and not a disgusted grimace.

"Get going and as soon as you get back I'll pick up where we left off, kay?"

"I'm out the door!" Egil laughed and waved at her as he exited the room. Maisy waved back until the door closed. When he was gone she wiped her mouth and spit on the carpet. It was funny how someone whose lips used to taste as sweet as honey to her only reminded her of Drin's skunky breath now. Even if nothing about the kisses actually changed, the people certainly had.

She waited ten minutes after he'd left before jumping to her feet and sprinting to his wardrobe. He kept it locked, but the wood and the lock were no match for the might of her trusty fire poker. It took her a few tries, but she finally broke through the weaker part of the wardrobe door and made a hole big enough for her to get a pair of boots out.

With her main goal accomplished, she ran to her wardrobe next. She opened it up and sorted through the choices. There wasn't much of anything that was overly durable, but she'd stashed what she wanted in the very back.

She unearthed the black pants she'd been wearing when she was kidnapped. She would have worn the shirt too, but Egil had burned it since it had green on it. So instead she pulled out the plainest orange blouse from the wardrobe. It was short sleeved and laced up the front. She pulled a burgundy tunic out as well, which she'd previously doused in some special liquid that Egil said he used to keep stray sparks from sending his clothes up in flames. To top it all off she snatched a fireproofed cloak and fastened it around her shoulders. Finally, she shoved her feet into the boots, which were only a few sizes too big for her.

The perfect escape outfit. And totally cute.

Now that she was dressed for busting out of Muspelheim, she grabbed her fire poker once more and wished it was a bow staff. She was one hundred percent ready to do whatever it took to get out of this lava realm and get back to where she wanted to be.

 **A note from the author: Now we're rolling! I won't be making many comments on the chapters from here forward, in case I accidentally give away any details. Though, of course, for one big detail, one need only look at that little line right above the story synopsis and my name... ah, but I've said too much. *evil laughter, swish of cape***

 **PFoD update: Ninja Squirrel attacked Blaze with an assortment of pillows and acorns and probably would have succeeded in defeating her had the Character Protection Program not stepped in. What a shame that they did. Then Ninja Squirrel fell asleep along with Ceres Friggadottir. They lie in wait for Egil's demise. They may have to wait a fair bit.**

 **TO THE FAVORITERS/FOLLOWERS/CASUAL READERS: Thank you for your silent support, I hope you are all still enjoying the story! :) You are all fantastic!**

 **THANKS TO MY DARLING REVIEWERS: Lwolf, Ninja Squirrel (true fact: Egil's "cannon" middle name is now TurdBlossom, as his author I can do this), MetallicarBaby (always glad to help distract from mundane events! ;) I'm pretty excited about the sequel too! I already have a name for it, but rather like Avengers 4, I can't reveal that information without spoiling the ending of this story...), ferbette, CheetahLover, and Susan Drakian (not sure if you are caught up or not yet, but I hope you are still enjoying everything! Thank you so much for reading this whole big thing! :)).**

 **Until next time!**


	94. Chapter 94

Linn had been so busy with all of the guests arriving in the palace, all of them with massive amounts of laundry, that she hadn't had the chance to confront Maisy. She also wasn't sure that she wanted to confront the woman who she'd thought was one of her closest friends. After all, what if now that Maisy was going to be a princess for real she didn't want to associate with the help? What if everything had been building up to this all along? What if Maisy had never wanted to be her friend?

The laundress shook her head at these thoughts and found herself at the door to Loki and Maisy's room. Loki had said that he and Maisy had separate rooms now, but that she mostly stayed there anyway. So hopefully even this morning the bride-who-already-was-but-was-yet-to-be would be in the chambers. Linn wanted to try and set things right or at least get an explanation from Maisy.

With a deep breath, she knocked on the door. When it opened a moment later Loki was looking down at her with a quirked brow. She tried to smile at him, but her cheerful facade was crumbling pretty quickly.

"Hey Loki," she said.

"Linn," he smiled more kindly than she'd ever seen him smile before, "How are you?"

"How am I?" She snorted, "He asks how am I when I should be asking how is you? Your the one getting hitched ain't you?"

"That I am. Will you be watching?"

"I… I won't be," her shoulders slumped a bit, "See, I'm _allowed_ to go, cuz Maisy told Sif dat I was gonna be her maid of honor, and Sif told Madame Veru and she gave me the day off. But… I don't fink Maisy wants me anymore."

"Yes, she has decided to forgo having any sort of bridal party at all," Loki rolled his eyes and then ushered Linn inside, "Maisy is off getting ready Norns know where, come in."

Linn was surprised to see Thor sitting at the table in the room. The crown prince and Loki were both dressed in full on armor and leather, not the tunics Linn was used to seeing them in. She wondered if they were going to go for helmets for the ceremony or if that would look too crazy. Their helmets weren't exactly wedding style elegance.

"Good morning, Linn!" Thor smiled at her and waved. Linn couldn't help but wave back. Something about the big blond always made her smile.

"Morning prince!"

"What brings you here so soon before the wedding? Shouldn't you be getting ready?"

"I wanted to talk with Maisy," Linn dropped into the chair next to him, "I wanted to sort fings out with her and apologize for whatever it was dat I did."

Thor and Loki looked at each other.

"She has gotten a bit, uh, snippy lately, hasn't she?" Thor said.

"She told me never to come here again," Linn said, "She hates me for some reason."

"Maisy doesn't hate you," Loki said forcefully, "I promise she doesn't hate you."

"She's sure acting like it."

"Linn, can you keep a secret?"

"Loki, no. We cannot tell her! Not until the plan is complete. Just a few more hours," Thor gave Linn a sympathetic look, "Everything will be explained by the end of the day.

"I trust her," Loki put a hand on Linn's shoulder and she felt pride fill her. The god of tricks and lies trusted _her_ of all people.

"I swear I won't tell a soul whatever it is!"

"You see?" Loki sat down as well and looked her in the eye, "Maisy's life depends on this so you'd best keep it secret if you want her to live."

"Gosh, maybe dis is too big a secret to tell me."

"I want you to know. But if you don't want to then I won't tell you."

Linn considered it. Loki wouldn't actually tell her if he didn't think she could handle the pressure. Plus, she was really curious.

"Tell me."

The secret that Loki explained freaked her out, made her furious, and also made her extremely happy. She couldn't keep the smile off her face when he'd finished explaining that Maisy had been taken to Muspelheim and that Blaze had swapped places with her.

"So it was dat meany, Blaze lady who told me off!"

"It was."

"Ha!" Linn made a fist and hit her open palm with it, "I'm gonna punch her in her stupid face all the way to Jotunheim next time I see her, see if I don't!"

"Remember, you must pretend that she is still the Maisy you know and love. Otherwise she'll get suspicious and she might hurt you or the real Maisy."

"Right, right," Linn frowned, "Well, when you defeat her make sure you let me have a swing at her, yeah?"

"Of course," Loki laughed, "But for now, I need to finish getting ready."

"Right, right, right!" Linn got up and smiled, "You know what? I fink I'm gonna go get dressed in my fancy duds too. I wanna there when you kick Muspelheim chick's ass!"

"Watch your language!" Loki scolded.

"Let the girl express herself!" Thor chuckled, slapping a hand on Linn's shoulder and nearly knocking her over.

Linn practically skipped out of the room to go get ready in her very best clothes. She was going to enjoy watching whatever the princes of Asgard had planned. And she hoped along with Blaze getting what was coming to her that Egil showed up and conveniently fell off the Rainbow Bridge. She might even be tempted to help him.

 **A note from the author: Linn's fired up and I hope you are as well! It's about time we kicked some Muspelheim butt, I'd say!**

 **Thank you to everyone who has favorited/followed/and read! You guys are awesome and I appreciate that you are sticking with the story! :)**

 **Thank you to the amazing reviewers: CheetahLover (aw, a wolf in fireproof armor sounds adorably fierce!), Ceres Friggadottir (hope camp was fun! Welcome back, be sure to catch up on your rest!), Ninja Squirrel (in my opinion, some guys can make a man bun work... Egil is not one of those guys. He probably looks like Miss Trunchbull from** ** _Matilda_** **), XinterestingX (we shall see, we shall see *laughs evilly*), yellowroseofthenw (we shall see, we shall see *laughs evilly*), Susan Drakian (yay! I'm so glad you are caught up! I hope you like what I have in store!), and ferbette (I mean, if your escape outfit isn't cute, is it even worth escaping? ;)). Thank you all!**

 **TTFN!**


	95. Chapter 95

Her first obstacle was the front door, but she'd seen enough movies to know how to deal with that. She put down her fire poker and ran head on at the door, intent on breaking it down like all of the cops on TV did. Her shoulder hit the door and caused her so much pain that she fell back and landed on her butt. The door hadn't budged.

Maisy rubbed her shoulder and glared at the door as if it had attacked her and not the other way around.

From the first hit she was fairly sure that she wouldn't be able to break it down. Maybe if she had Asgardian strength she'd have been able to do it, but she was just a slightly smaller than average Midgardian. She'd have to think of something else because Egil had made sure she was locked in.

She looked at the hinges of the door, knowing that in movies they also sometimes took off the hinges and opened the door backwards, but these hinges looked like they were welded onto the metal door. In frustration she gave the door a few violent kicks. To her surprise, on the fifth kick the door opened and she jumped back in surprise.

A skeleton-fire guy peered in at her with his empty eye sockets. She grabbed her fire poker from nearby and ran head on at him with it extended like a lance in a jousting match. The dude sidestepped her, but that allowed her to pass by him and run straight through into the hallway. She didn't look back, she kept running, cape fluttering behind her in a way that made her feel like a superhero. She was starting to understand why Thor always wore one.

The skeleton-fire gentleman was running after her in a second, but she just kept going, trying not to melt in the heat that had greeted her on the other side of the door. She knew this wasn't even the worst of the heat. When Egil had first brought her in she really didn't think she could survive in the heat for long. But she didn't need to be here long. Just long enough to convince Surtur to send her home.

But first she had to find Surtur.

 **A note from the author: I warned you that the chapter lengths would get weird. Sorry, but I really want the climax to take place in chapter 100 so this is just going to be the way it is. :P I'm going to try to post two tomorrow to make up for the short lengths. We'll see how that goes.**

 **PFoD update: xlokiswolfx has brought more blankets and pillows to strengthen the fort, as well as archery skills and, uh, possibly castration skills (should I be concerned with how much you guys seem to want to remove Egil's testicles?). Kaikitty165 is game to help push Egil off the bridge (as I'm sure you all are at this point). yellowroseofthenw is bringing more blankets as well as provisions in the form of ice cream, chocolate, and a large bottle of wine. Ninja Squirrel has** ** _squirreled away_** **(eh? eh?) some popcorn in various flavors for all to enjoy. We at least know that you all will be well fed as you deal with the dreaded feels.**

 **THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR READING! YOU ARE WONDERFUL!**

 **And, as always, a huge thank you to those who reviewed: ferbette (yes to pinatas), CheetahLover (I'm glad you like that Loki trusts Linn, because I was a tad worried it would come off as OOC, and perhaps it still does, but I'm glad you liked it), xlokiswolfx (fear not, the butts shall be kicked in due time), Kaikitty165 (sorry to hear that you and your son were sick! I hope you are both all better or heal quickly! Glad you got caught up and we always have need for people wanting to push Egil off a bridge!), TheLadyBookworm (you probably aren't all the way caught up yet, but thank you so much for your review anyway! Hopefully you'll see this!), yellowroseofthenw (*smirks evilly and laughs some more* I'm not sorry! Except about the anxiety thing. Sorry about that. But I'm not sorry for being evil!), Susan Drakian (let's all agree just to forever picture Egil as Trunchbull. Agreed everyone? lol), and Ninja Squirrel (I'm afraid it will just have to be at the edge of your fingertips for a bit longer... mwahaha). Thank you all so much!**

 **Until tomorrow (hopefully)! :D**


	96. Chapter 96

"Are you ready?" Thor asked as they stood at the entrance for the Great Hall.

"No," Loki admitted, "But I never will be so let's get to it, hmm?"

The two brothers nodded at each other and began the long walk down the aisle to the foot of the throne. It was there that they'd wait for the blushing bride to meet them and then the ceremony could begin.

"You know, last time there were this many people in here and I was walking to the throne you let Frost Giants into the palace," Thor commented as they smiled at the huge gathering of people, "Any similar plans today?"

"Have you so little trust in me?" Loki smirked.

"Brother, much as I love you, I am not stupid enough to trust you not to scheme," Thor elbowed him playfully, "Not anymore."

"Fair enough," Loki nodded at the Warriors Two as they passed. Volstagg and Sif were already working on their tasks. It had to be done during the wedding because it was the only time when Blaze couldn't leave and do anything about it. Even if her spies alerted her to the problems she couldn't leave the wedding without giving herself away.

"Oh, how nice, the Kree sent a representative," Thor noted, nodding respectfully as they passed.

"I wonder if Krylor sent anyone. I can't imagine them getting away with that after what Aoiba pulled," Loki found himself scanning the room for their characteristic pink skin.

"We let _you_ come, didn't we? You've done far worse than she did."

Loki ignored that comment, realizing that people were probably straining to hear every word the princes said, even over the trumpet blasts that were announcing their arrival. He felt his nerves growing as they walked closer and closer to the throne. He cursed whoever had designed the Great Hall to be so ridiculously long. When he was a boy he'd dreamed of walking down this aisle and receiving the crown of Asgard at the end. Since it didn't seem like that would be happening without a lot of careful planning, he'd have to settle for this. It wasn't worth it, knowing that he'd have to kiss Blaze at the end of it.

He blocked out the thought and focused on smiling at everyone like prince of Asgard that he was. He could handle one kiss if it meant setting things right in Asgard and getting Maisy home.

 **A note from the author: I know, I know, there isn't much** **substance** **to this chapter, but hey! The wedding is officially starting! Things are really going to start picking up now!**

 **Thank you so much to everyone for reading! You guys are amazing for sticking with me for so long!**

 **PFoD update: Ninja Squirrel has taken to hiding in a cardboard box with her shotgun at the ready in case Egil makes a move. Ceres Friggadottir has assasination plans at the ready for Egil. Cheetah Lover is cuddling the pack of wolves until more answers are revealed. darkangelynn5 has brought a whole** ** _dragon_** **to protect the fort and also impressive skills. yellowroseofthenw has brought soup (like I said before, you guys have plenty of provisions). And TheLadyBookworm has expressed her desire to attack both Egil and Blaze with her formidable magical abilities. At the end of the day, it would seem we have a mighty army to take on Egil TurdBlossom Belison.**

 **Thanks again to my favorite people around, the reviewers: ferbette, Ninja Squirrel (lol, "sauna obsessed glory"), Ceres Friggadottir, nina del carmen (aw, shucks, I'm blushing!), Cheetah Lover (when I'm done reigning terror on everyone's emotions can I cuddle with the wolves too?), darkangelynn5, yellowroseofthenw (whoops, did I make you mad? ;)), and TheLadyBookworm (oh my gosh, that's a lot of reading! I'm so glad that you are enjoying it that much!). You all make me unable to stop grinning with delight and I really appreciate that!**

 **I will try to update this evening with the next chapter, but life has a tendency to get in the way, so no promises my dears. Until next time!**


	97. Chapter 97

She knew she must have been heading the right direction because it just kept getting hotter and hotter. At this point there were three skeleton-fire guards following behind her, yelling at her in their raspy voices for her to stop. Even though she felt like she might collapse from the heat, she ran like she'd never run before.

When she finally burst out into the enormous throne room style cavern she shouted for joy, which might have been a stupid decision since a hundred skeleton-fire people all turned to look at her the moment she did so. She clutched her fire poker and her eyes widened when they all started to rush at her.

This might have been a dumb plan. After all, Surtur didn't care if she died or not. There was nothing to stop his henchmen from killing her other than the fact that Egil didn't want them to.

Thinking fast, she ran to her right and along the cavern wall. This allowed her to get behind the ones rushing toward her, but it also meant that there were approximately one hundred and three skeleton-fire warrior guys following behind her as she tried to make her way to the throne.

"Craaaaaap!" She yelped, digging in her heels to stop as a giant lizard head poked out of one of the caves along the wall. It didn't look quite like a lindworm, and as it came farther out of the cave it revealed that it had wings, which the lindworm had not. It gave Maisy a curious look with its flame colored eyes and she was quickly overcome by skeleton-fire guys. They grabbed every limb and started to carry her back the way she'd come.

"What is it?" A rumbling voice asked, "Who dares interrupt me?"

"Maisy Sichore!" Maisy hollered, hoping it was Surtur she was speaking to, "Please, I just want a word with you!"

"Bring her to me."

 **A note from the author: I am so sorry that this is so short! The next one is of an** ** _almost_** **proper length, I swear!**

 **Thank you for reading! Please stick with me through these absurdly short chapters, we are almost back to normal chapter lengths!**

 **PFoD update: ferbette is making brownies (with and without nuts) for all, the dragon is nibbling on some raw meat, and tomorrow is Ninja Squirrel's birthday... which means there will be an extra special Pillow Fort of Denial update, so be sure to stay tuned for that!**

 **I extend a thank you of epic proportions to my darling reviewers: Cheetah Lover, XinterestingX, ferbette, Kaikitty165, and Ninja Squirrel! You guys are awesome! Lots of love!**

 **Until tomorrow!**


	98. Chapter 98

Odin was prattling to Loki and Thor like any old father would at a wedding about the trials of marriage. No one was close enough to hear the Allfather's words of wisdom and Loki wished he was that lucky. Although, Odin _had_ to know a thing or two about marriage, considering he'd managed to make someone as wonderful as Frigga happy for over a thousand years. Still, the younger prince found himself wishing Blaze would hurry up and start walking down the aisle so that Odin would shut up.

Of course, if she did rush things too much then Sif and Volstagg might not have the time they needed to get their tasks completed. And then this whole idiotic ceremony would be for not. Not to mention they'd actually have to go through with everything that came along with a wedding. Like a wedding night. Loki shuddered.

"Nervous?" Odin asked and Loki blinked in surprise. The tone with which his adopted father spoke was so gentle and fatherly that he could almost believe they'd never had a falling out.

"Of course not," Loki sneered after a quiet moment, "Why would I be?"

"Marrying someone, even when it is actually someone you care about, is a big commitment," the king was studying Loki's face in a manner that made him uneasy. Not that he'd ever admit it to anyone.

"I've already been married for several months now," Loki wanted to add that he didn't care that much about Maisy, since he didn't want Odin to have something to hold over him, but he wasn't stupid enough to try and convince the Allfather of that. Even if he was half blind, Odin had a curious way of knowing things. Besides, Thor had probably blabbed about the lingering looks the couple gave each other and blown it out of proportion.

"But now the whole universe will know of it," Odin pointed out, "Up until now only a few knew about your arrangement."

"It won't make a difference," Loki shrugged, but he knew it would. Before he could have pretended that he was unattached. Pretended there was no one that he cared about and that he had no weaknesses. Now the nine realms would be aware of the fact that, contrary to popular belief, he had a heart.

Finally, trumpets blared and everyone turned to look toward the entrance of the Great Hall. Cheers went up as the bride began to make her way down the enormous aisle. She was too far off for Loki to see her well, but he could make out the electric shade of blue she'd chosen for her hair and the hideous, flour sack shaped white dress that she'd created. There was something else Loki noticed: she was approaching far too quickly.

Blaze was either taking bigger steps than she was supposed to or taking quicker steps. Either way, she'd make it to the altar way too soon. Loki was counting on the huge amount of time it normally took to walk through the Great Hall at a formal speed to give Volstagg and Sif the time they needed. It seemed that Blaze wanted to get this over with as soon as possible though. Loki needed to take action if he wanted his plan to succeed.

"Father," Loki turned to the man. He hadn't meant to call him by that title, but it had slipped out, "Please, can I ask a favor of you?"

Odin raised a fluffy brow.

"You may ask. I make no promises that I will agree to it."

"Make your speech as long as you possibly can. Add in as many flowery words as you can, stories of my childhood, stories of you and Mother, anything to add length!"

"You want me to elongate the wedding," Odin commented, "To allow for some scheme of yours to come to fruition."

"Yes, but-"

"Letting more enemies into the Vault, perhaps."

"No," Loki clenched his fists, "I swear on my life that it is for the good of Asgard."

Odin started to shake his head, but Thor gently put a hand on Loki's shoulder and intervened.

"Father, he speaks the truth."

"Tell me what the scheme will accomplish and I will do it."

"We cannot tell you," Thor stated calmly, "Or else many will be in danger."

Loki chanced a look at the bride and grimaced when she was close enough that he could make out the grin on her face.

"Please, Odin," Loki met the other man's eye, "I only ask it to protect someone."

Odin did not answer, choosing to watch the imposter walk closer. Josh Sichore was trying not to grimace beside her. When she was standing next to Loki with a bouquet of golden flowers clutched in her hands in the sameway some held a weapon. She leered at him and Loki tried to smile back, but failed and ended up casting an illusion of his face smiling over his actual expression. He flicked a glance at Odin and the man watched him carefully. When the king finally opened his mouth to speak Loki feared he might jump to the end of the ceremony just out of spite.

"Welcome, people of Asgard and our illustrious guests," he said, raising his voice. He gave Loki and Thor one more weary look before raising his face to the assembled audience, "Weddings are meant to have us look to the happy future of the bride and groom, but they are also good times to reminisce. When Loki was a boy…"

Loki and Thor both breathed a sigh of relief as Odin began to recount a hugely embarrassing story. Perhaps the king of Asgard wasn't as old and addled as he looked.

 **A note from the author: We're only two chapters away from 100...**

 **Thank you so much to everyone for reading, I really appreciate it!**

 **PFoD update: Since today is Ninja Squirrel's birthday, there will be a very, very special Pillow Fort of Denial update posted as a one shot on my profile, which I will try to put up a few minutes after I post this chapter. If you have ever taken refuge in the fort or if you just really hate Egil, I highly** **recommend** **going to take a look! HAPPY BIRTHDAY NINJA SQUIRREL!**

 **Thank you to my lovely reviewers: Ceres Friggadottir, Ninja Squirrel (throws confetti), darkangelynn5, ferbette, Cheetah Lover, and TheLadyBookworm (lol, hopefully Surtur has some febreeze or something)! You guys are awesome and amazing and lots of other nice things too!**

 **Until next time! :)**


	99. Chapter 99

The skeleton-fire dudes carried her over to the enormous throne and roughly threw her onto the ground. Her exposed skin burnt immediately and she jumped to her feet even though she was woozy and panting. She looked up and saw Surtur almost smiling down at her, resting his bony jaw on his fist.

"Lord Surtur," she did her best to bow respectfully.

"Maisy," he nodded, "You are out of your room."

"Yes sir."

"Does my lieutenant, Egil, know of this?"

"No sir."

"You are a brave one, I will give you that," Surtur straightened up, "I can see why you and he get along so well."

"We don't get along well," Maisy corrected.

"No? Then why did you agree to come back with him?"

"Lord Surtur… I didn't agree to come."

"Little Midgardian, I am not sure that I understand," the fire giant said leaning forward as if to hear her better, "And I do not like when I do not understand something. Explain yourself."

"Um, I'm not sure what Egil told you, but we used to date when we were both on Midgard."

"Used to?"

"Yes sir. I broke up with him awhile back. Then he got pissy about it and sent one of those lindworms after me-"

"Why?"

"To bring me back to him," Maisy supplied, "But it didn't go too well and I was dying."

"One of _my_ lindworms was on Midgard?!"

"Yes sir."

"I had no knowledge of this!" Surtur bellowed and then looked at her, "Continue."

"Well, anyway, I was dying and Thor took me to Asgard. Odin was kind of being a jerk and said he wouldn't save me unless I was part of the family and so Loki married me-"

" _Really?!_ "

"Yeah."

"The trickster saved your life?"

"Yup."

"And you were married to him?!"

"Still am, actually."

Surtur didn't even say anything. He just gaped at her with an open mouth. Maisy took this as permission to continue with her story.

"Anyway, then Egil spread word that Loki was courting or whatever and everybody else got upset about that."

"I'm sorry, I'm still in shock. You are _currently_ married to Loki Laufeyson?!"

"Um, isn't it Odinson? At least, that's what Thor is, right?"

"Oh. My. Norns," Surtur was starting to sound like a shocked teenager, "He didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"Do you know who Laufey was?"

"Nooo… should I?"

"I'll tell you when _your_ tale has been told," Surtur waved his giant hand at her.

"Right, so then we had the whole Taka af Brúðr thingy. And you wrote that thing about how if Blaze won then I had to come back here."

"I recall."

"And I was losing and Blaze was winning so things didn't look good. And then Die-An and Tzefira got sick because Aoiba poisoned them because _you_ told her to."

"I told her to make sure you didn't come to Muspelheim. Which she failed at. Thank you for reminding me to kill her little brother. I've got him stashed around here somewhere."

"Don't kill him! Please! She tried her best!"

"Continue with your story and I'll think about it."

"Alright, so there was that happening and, long story short, I got to the top three. And then Odin found out that Blaze was an Asgardian criminal so she was disqualified and then Queen Melantha dropped out. So I won. See, Aoiba actually did her job of making sure I won!"

"Fair enough," Surtur scratched his chin, "So why are you here if you were the victor?"

"Because somebody never taught Egil that no means no!" Maisy fumed, "He had me kidnapped and dragged into the Bifrost!"

"Is that so?"

"Yes sir."

"Interesting."

"I finally convinced him to leave me alone long enough for me to escape his room and get out here," she looked up at the king of the realm, "I wanted to come and try to convince you to send me home, sir."

"I can't do that," Surtur shook his massive head.

"But you don't even want me here!"

"I don't want Egil to be fawning over a woman again," he said, "A long time ago there was another girl that he liked but I told him that he could not be with her. He went insane and I had to fight him off. I forgave him that crime because there was a war brewing at that time and I needed him. I did not want him falling for you because I knew it would distract him and he might do something foolish again."

"Well, I'm here," Maisy said, "I'm being distracting. He's being crazy. Send me home and fix the problem!"

"I have a different solution," Surtur smiled, "Egil will be punished for kidnapping you, do not fear."

"Good, but why can't you send me to Asgard?"

"Because I want Blaze in the royal family keeping an eye on Odin and Thor. And I want her to put Loki on the throne because I am certain that is the best way to start Ragnarok."

"Ragna-what?"

"So, you see I cannot take Blaze out of Asgard and allow you to go back to being Loki's wife. It would interfere with my plans."

"Please, sir-"

"I am sorry about that," Surtur reached down and picked her up, burning her through her clothes. When he held his palm flat she had to stand up to keep from frying to a crisp, "But I do have an idea."

"What?"

"You will replace Blaze! I will have you trained to be one of my lieutenants! It will be great! You can have Egil's rooms when I make him move out and you can learn to fight and do magic and all sorts of useful things!"

"But I don't want to be-"

"But you will be, little Midgardian," Surtur's expressions were hard to make out what with all of the magma and fire going on, but Maisy could have sworn he was giving her a fatherly look, "I'm sure you will come to love Muspelheim as your home. You will wait in Egil's room and when he returns I will have you come and administer the punishment, as is only fitting considering what he put you through."

"What kind of punishment?"

"I am undecided, but probably beheading."

"I'm not going to behead my ex boyfriend!"

"It will be wonderful, I assure you," Surtur grinned, "Ah! We must rename you as well. Maisy is far too gentle a name, don't you think? I usually like to do fire themed names considering our surroundings."

"I don't want a new name, I want to go home!"

"How about Lindworm?"

"No."

"Lindworm is perfect!"

"Lord Surtur, I promise I'll suck at this whole warrior thing. You'd do better just to send me home! Maybe just send me to Midgard where I can't interfere with Asgardian stuff!"

"No, no, I've just taken a liking to you. Besides, you'll be great leverage to keep them from killing Blaze and ruining my plans."

Maisy was about to give up hope when she heard a jolly battle cry from the entrance to the cavern. She and Surtur both turned to stare as a red haired man with a stomach that would put Winnie the Pooh to shame came running in with a hoard of skeleton-fire guys running behind him. He waved cheerfully at Maisy and she and Surtur looked at each other in surprise. Then both the fire giant and the woman waved back at Volstagg in confusion.

"Maisy! You're true love has sent me on a rescue mission!" The Voluminous shouted across the cavern, "Prepare to be rescued!"

"Okay!" Maisy called and Surtur gave her a wounded look. She shrugged apologetically. The king of Muspelheim was actually kind of nice and if she didn't hate being in the fiery realm and desperately want to get out, she would have considered staying.

Volstagg's belly jiggled as he ran toward the throne, laughing all the way. Mid-stride, he heaved an enormous axe at them and Maisy yelped in surprise. The axe sliced through Surtur's wrist and then his hand with Maisy in it plummeted downward. This was even scarier than when she fell from the monkey bars at the top of the arena in Asgard and Maisy screamed accordingly.

Before she could splat like an egg on a frying pan, Volstagg bounded over and caught her in his outstretched arms. Surtur couldn't do anything about it before the bearded man set Maisy on his shoulders like a toddler, grabbed his axe and began hacking his way back the way he'd come. Maisy, having nothing else to hold onto, gripped his head and held on for dear life as he sprinted through the shrieking skeleton-fire people.

When they finally breached the surface and they were no longer underground Maisy screamed some more because huge lindworms were crawling down the sides of the mountains and scrambling after them with hissing and snapping. Volstagg spared a glance at the creatures and started yelling as he ran.

"Heimdall! Heimdall, now would be an excellent time for a-"

 _Whoosh!_

A huge beam of light enveloped them and suddenly they were traveling through a tunnel of rainbow.

 **A note from the author: One chapter away from 100! And one review away from 300, holy smokes! I am so pleased with this story and I am glad to find that so many people are pleased with it as well!**

 **Thank you so much for reading everyone, you guys are the best!**

 **And an even bigger thank you to my reviewers: XinterestingX, Cheetah Lover, Ceres Friggadottir (it's probably about the time he tried to turn into a camel, but got stuck halfway and had the body of a camel and his normal face for a week... yup, that's probably it), Ninja Squirrel (you are most welcome! Thank** ** _you_** **for being such an awesome reviewer!), the guest reviewer, ferbette (I mean, he's got to be nice** ** _some_** **of the time, right? Or Frigga would have left him centuries ago), xlokiswolfx, and Angi Marie. You guys continue to be amazing and I love you all! :D**

 **Until next time, which will hopefully be tomorrow because I'd hate to leave you all hanging right before Chapter 100.**


	100. Chapter 100

Odin was doing a better job than Loki had expected. A better job than needed. They'd been standing there listening to embarrassing and touching childhood stories for nearly an hour. And they hadn't even started in on the actual wedding ceremony.

Blaze had caught on that something wasn't right because when Odin was loudly telling about the first time that Loki had run away to join a circus she hissed at the groom.

"If he doesn't hurry up I'll blow the Vault."

"How is it my fault that he's feeling verbose today?" Loki replied innocently.

"Just make him speed things up or I'll do something you're not going to like."

"Father," Loki said, loud enough for Odin to hear him, but not any of the audience, "Perhaps we ought to move on. The cooks will burn the feast otherwise."

"But that is enough about Loki," Odin announced, without pausing to acknowledge that he'd heard his son. As if he'd come up with the idea to move on by himself, "Let us speak of marriage."

He proceeded to give a typical Asgardian speech on marriage. It took about fifteen minutes. Then he finally got to the good part.

"As is custom in a Midgardian wedding," Odin wrinkled his nose just slightly at the idea of doing anything like the Midgardians did, "I must now ask if anyone can show just cause why this couple cannot lawfully be joined together in matrimony. If so, please speak up now or forever hold your peace."

Odin paused and looked over the audience for a good few moments. There was a look on his face that said that _he_ really wanted to object and call this whole thing off, but the king didn't say anything while he waited for objections.

Loki couldn't help looking toward the doors to the Great Hall, hoping and wishing that Maisy would burst through the doors and yell that she objected. He wished she'd walk in and he could run to her and show everyone that Blaze was an imposter. Then he'd dramatically take her into his arms and she would look up at him with that small, admiring smile and he'd kiss her and perhaps she'd swoon and he could carry her off.

He stared at the doors so hopefully that he almost convinced himself that it would happen. But Volstagg must be having troubles with Surtur. They probably would not return for several hours.

The dreadful thought hit Loki that they might not return at all. Perhaps Surtur had taken Egil's absence as an excuse to kill Maisy. Perhaps Volstagg would be overwhelmed by the creatures of Muspelheim. It was foolish to think one warrior, even one as experienced as Volstagg the Voluminous, could stand up to the might of Surtur.

This thought settled in Loki's mind and he turned away from the door slowly, trying to keep tears from forming in his eyes. He never cried in front of others. Not unless he was conning them to feel bad for him. He would not show weakness in front of Blaze and Odin. Not even if Volstagg came bursting through the doors and declared that Maisy had been murdered. Loki would not cry.

No one said a word. Odin nodded and moved on.

"Very well. On to the vows," the king looked at the groom, "Prince of Asgard, God of Mischief, Loki Bartholomew _Odinson_ …"

Loki did nothing but scowl at the emphasis. Odin saw. Thor was mouthing "Bartholomew" in disbelief.

"Do you pledge yourself, your life, and your loyalty to this woman?"

"Sure, I guess." Loki shrugged nonchalantly. Blaze looked like she wanted to strangle him. Thor was rolling his eyes and looked like he might be trying not to laugh. Odin didn't look amused, but he didn't give away much other emotion on his face either.

"Champion of Midgard, Victor of Taka af Brúðr, Maisy Sloane Sichore, do you pledge yourself, your life, and your loyalty to this man?"

Blaze nodded very solemnly and opened her mouth. She was interrupted by a loud crash.

"No I do not! Or, uh, _she_ does not!"

Every eye in the room turned to the door, which had just crashed open and looked at the petite, dark haired woman that stood there in orange and black. Loki felt his heart jump in his chest and he wished the damned aisle was much shorter so he could see her more clearly. He wanted to run to her, but Blaze sent him a glare that told him if he wanted to keep the Vault in one piece, he'd stay put. Since he didn't know if Sif had finished her task yet or not, he settled for grinning wickedly at the woman who was storming through the room in a fury.

When she got closer he saw that all of her hair had been turned black and the dark circles under her eyes nearly matched in color. Her face glistened with ashy sweat. Her bare arms were covered in burned skin, scabbed gashes, and there was a bronze cuff around each wrist that reeked of dark magic. She looked as if she'd been dragged from the back of a racehorse and probably could not have been more disheveled if she tried. Still, Loki wasn't sure that he'd ever seen someone more beautiful in his life.

Toward the middle of the room, Egil Belison stood up and began racing after her down the aisle, but she would not be stopped. She plowed forward until she was a few steps away from the bride and groom.

Blaze blinked out of her shock. She quickly shouted an "I do" and grabbed the front of Loki's leather tunic. He gasped in horror, about to be kissed by the vile thing when the bride was punched in the face and fell to the ground.

" _Get away from my man_!" Maisy thundered, shaking her fist out and stooping to pull her wedding ring off of Blaze's hand. Then she launched herself at Loki. Her lips found his as if they'd always been destined to and she wove her hands through his hair. He didn't even give himself a moment to be surprised before he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back.

 **A note from the author: Ta-da! We made it to Chapter 100! And there's still some story left to be told! Thank you so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so much to everyone who has been reading as I've been updating, to any future readers, to anyone who hates this story, to anyone who feels "meh" about this story, to anyone who loves this story - basically, if you've read this far I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart because you truly are wonderful and I could not ask for a better audience.**

 **And a HUGE thank you to my reviewers: XinterestingX, Ceres Friggadottir, ferbette, Ninja Squirrel, MetallicarBaby, Cheetah Lover, TheLadyBookworm, irisheyes85, Lwolf, yellowroseofthenw, darkangelynn5, Kaikitty165, and the guest reviewer. You guys, you brilliant people. You always make my day and cheer me up and make me glad to be an author. Everyone who has every reviewed as made me beyond happy and I hope I can continue to entertain you! :)**

 **Until next update!**


	101. Chapter 101

Linn jumped up from her seat near the front and waved her arms wildly. She was squealing and bouncing up and down and the lords and ladies she was seated next to looked at her with disapproval written all over their faces. She ignored them and continued to cheer. When Thor joined her shouts of celebration it seemed to give everyone else permission to, even though they had no idea what was going on.

Everyone was cheering loudly and Maisy and Loki looked like they were smiling. It was hard to tell because their mouths were smooshed together passionately. Even though she'd been waiting months to see it, Linn was starting to get a little bit grossed out by just how long this kiss was going. She supposed they'd been building up to this for a while and they had to make up for all the time they hadn't been kissing. Still… they were so close together and their mouths were so well engaged that Linn was surprised either of them could breath.

"Maisy, no!" Egil shouted, startling everyone. He snapped his fingers and a slim, bronze chain shot out of his sleeve and latched onto Maisy's wrist, pulling her toward him, "Get away, he'll kill you!"

Maisy and Loki were forced apart (Linn was surprised there wasn't a loud "pop") and, being so weary, Maisy could scarce fight off the chain that was pulling her away from her husband. However, Loki had one hand firmly wrapped around Maisy's waist and with his free hand he wiggled his fingers gracefully and then threw the green light that he'd built up at Egil's face. The man from Muspelheim tumbled backward, falling to the ground and the chain disappeared. Linn cheered once more and ran over to kick him a few times. He looked like he was having troubles moving with the green magic still swirling around him so he couldn't stop her.

While everyone was baffled by Egil's outburst, no one was keeping an eye on the other hostile in the room. Blaze's disguise dropped and her spiky hair and glaring eyes shone through. She slowly got to her feet and pulled a knife from a sheath strapped to her calf. Linn was the only one who noticed.

"Look out!" She cried, abandoning her fun of kicking Egil.

"Loki might not kill you directly, Sichore," Blaze hissed and leapt forward, shoving her blade into Maisy's heart, "But make no mistake, he caused this!"

The room fell silent a moment and everything moved in slow motion. Maisy looked down at the blade sticking out of her chest, staring at it a few seconds, and then she dropped to her knees. Loki didn't even bother to do anything to Blaze in retaliation before shouting in terror and dropping down with Maisy, holding her close.

Mr. Sichore got up from his seat and ran to his daughter.

Linn thought her lungs had stopped working as she watched the whole thing. She vaguely noticed Thor wrapping a beefy arm around Blaze's throat and securing her. He yelled something about fetching healers, but no one was moving. Linn couldn't move.

It seemed like Loki's concentration shattered because Egil burst free from the spell and jumped to his feet, trying to shove Linn out of his way. This finally shook her enough to do something and she waved at her plus one, Bjorn. The off-duty guard grabbed Egil and held him so he couldn't escape.

" _Maisy!_ " His voice was raw with emotion as he screamed, "Let me go to her! Let me go!"

Bjorn did no such thing.

Linn did what Egil wished he could and ran to her friend's side, clutching her hand. The laundress felt tears practically burst from her eyes. Her mind hadn't quite registered what happened yet, but apparently her tear ducts had.

 **A note from the author: *quickly backs away from story after leaving chapter* *raises hands peaceably* *dives behind Captain America's shield* Eeep!**

 **Thanks so much for reading! I hope you hated/enjoyed it!**

 **And, as usual, a shout out thank you to my reviewers: MetallicarBaby (Maisy hates violence, but she may have enjoyed punching Blaze in the schnoz a bit more than a healthy amount), Kaikitty165, ferbette (the "** **Bartholomew" thing is most certainly from that fanart thing because I think that is the best fanart thing of all time because Frigga is amazing and of course Loki's middle name would be Bartholomew), Cheetah Lover (glad you are still hyped! :D), irisheyes85 (not sure how you reviewed chapter 1 twice because they don't usually let people do that, but maybe it was a glitch or something. Either way, thanks for the support!), Lwolf, Rosie Cowell (thank you for reviewing for the first time! I'm always glad to hear from everyone and I'm so glad you like the story!), XinterestingX, yellowroseofthenw, Susan Drakian, darkangelynn5, Ninja Squirrel (I hope my evilness continues to astound... *ducks back behind Cap's shield*), Carpe Diem Vampire (not sure if you are caught up or not yet, but I'm glad you are enjoying the story! And I hope your Sabertooth/OC reading goes well), xlokiswolfx (I'm not going to lie, I love how her entrance went, I had so much fun writing it), guest reviewer 1, guest reviewer 2 (don't worry, there's more coming and a sequel, hopefully), and Paden (glad you are enjoying it!). You guys seriously rock!**

 **Until next time *evil laughter from behind Cap's shield*.**


	102. Chapter 102

On a scale of paper cut to lindworm impalement, the knife sticking out of her chest fell a bit closer to the latter. Maisy was mostly shocked that she wasn't already dead and the fact that she could think so clearly. Or maybe she wasn't thinking clearly, because all her mind could focus on at the moment was how pretty the painting on the roof of the Great Hall was. Whoever had done had been very skilled with a brush.

"Maisy," Loki was holding her, which was good, because after she'd fallen to her knees she didn't think she had much energy left. If he hadn't been propping up her head and shoulders she would have been on the floor.

Oh, he was saying something to her, but she wasn't paying attention.

"Could you… uh… repeat that?" She rasped and then coughed. Blood flew out of her mouth and splattered on his face, "Ew, s-sorry."

"Maisy, stay with me," he was pleading, "You can't leave me. Not now, alright?"

"Not going anywhere," she tried to smile at him to convince him, but she wasn't even convinced herself. This was pretty bad. At least the lindworm hadn't gotten her heart. Blaze had really good aim. Which was really bad.

"Of course not," Loki assured her and she found herself quite distracted by the fact that his fingers were in her hair and it felt lovely. Now probably wasn't the best time to be realizing just how much she was in love with him, but he was a really good kisser and her mind was still abuzz with romantic thoughts.

"You!" Thor shouted at someone, "Get a healer! Now!"

"I am here!" The head healer, who had seemed so snooty before, came into view and took a good look at the knife hanging out of Maisy's sternum. She was shaking her head, "There is not much simple medical aid can do for her. She needs magic. _Powerful_ magic."

"I'm giving her everything I can," Loki's eyes were moving frantically between Maisy and the healer, "What else can I do?!"

"Nothing!" Blaze laughed maniacally, her face barely visible over Thor's massive arm, "There is nothing you can do, princey boy! Egil's vision, remember? She's going to die!"

"No!" Egil's voice called and Maisy rolled her eyes.

"Go away Egil!" She said, but it wasn't very loud, "You're making things worse."

"She needs more magic," Loki turned suddenly toward Odin and Maisy thought she caught a glimpse of something glimmering on her husband's face. Couldn't possibly be tears though, she'd never once seen him cry. Certainly not over her.

"Please, Father, save her!" Loki asked, his voice quiet, "Save her, she is part of your family, is she not?! She won Taka af Brúðr, she is my wife!"

"I cannot," Odin replied, leaning heavily on his big shiny spear.

"Wow, you're a bigger jerk than I thought," Maisy said calmly. Odin glared at her and she tried to put her hands up peaceably, but more blood gushed out when she did so, "Sorry, just saying."

"If you do not save her life," Loki seethed, "I'll do everything in my power to ensure you suffer a similar fate, old man!"

Anyone within earshot (bar Thor) gasped in shock at the second prince's words and Maisy sighed. She noticed that her dad and Linn had joined them. Her dad had taken one of her hands and Linn the other, but she could barely feel it because her hands were going numb.

Linn dropped her hand all of a sudden and jumped to her feet. She hiked her pretty turquoise skirt up to her knees and marched toward the king of Asgard with a fury like Maisy had never seen. The girl grabbed Odin's collar (which caused more gasps of horror and shock) and pulled his face close to her snarling one.

"You save her, old man! You save her, or, or, or," Linn was visibly shaking with fear or rage, "Or I'll kill ya afore Loki even gets the chance! You see if I don't, king! Y-you see if I don't!"

Odin calmly removed her hands, with a glare that did not bode well for Linn later. When the girl was set aside, Maisy couldn't help a small snort when Linn immediately turned to Blaze (still in Thor's headlock) and punched her nose.

"Ow!" Blaze started wriggling and kicking and Linn spat at her through the gap in her front teeth.

"Shut up, fire girl!" She turned back to Odin, "And _you_ save Maisy, or else!"

"I _would_ save her," Odin replied, "But I cannot. Once one has felt the saving touch of Gungnir it will not work on them again. It is a weapon never meant to save lives, but to take them. There is nothing I can do. There is no time."

"No," Loki's hold on Maisy tightened, staring at the crimson pouring from her side. There was so much blood, "No! There has to be something! _You can do something_! _Anything!"_

"Nothing can be done to save her now."

Maisy faintly heard Egil's voice howling in despair from somewhere in the room and that's when she knew it was really bad.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"My goodness!" A woman's voice called, "Odin, you've always been overdramatic! People thought Frigga was the one with the theatrics, but honestly! You like to stand around with your eyepatch and your spear and your old man beard! Always saying things about doom!"

Maisy turned to look, which hurt a lot, and spotted Idunn walking up the aisle with a golden apple in her outstretched hand. Maisy saw Linn run down to the woman and take the apple and then rush it back. Maisy had the passing thought that they'd better hurry because she could actually feel her heart slowing down. Or maybe it was speeding up. Or maybe it wasn't beating anymore. It was a little hard to tell.

Loki's dagger flashed and cut a bite sized piece from the apple. He held it to her lips and Maisy squinted at him.

"Would now be a bad time to tell you I'm deathly allergic to apples?"

"What?! No, no, no, no!" Loki's face got paler, which Maisy hadn't thought it could.

"J-just kidding," she laughed, causing more blood to go everywhere. Loki didn't laugh with her, he just shoved the fruit in her mouth. Maisy did her best to chew and swallow it and when she'd finished she lifted her hand to Loki's face, feeling very dramatic herself. He held her hand against his cheek and watched her closely.

"Maisy," he whispered, "I want you to know-"

"You love me?" She whispered back and he froze, eyes wide. Then he nodded. It didn't _feel_ like the apple was working, "I love you too…"

And then everything went black.

 **A note from the author: So, originally this chapter was going to end right after Egil starts howling in** **despair** **, but I figured that would be drawing things out too long. We shall have to see if the apple works in the next chapter I suppose. *grins evilly***

 **PFoD update: A healing wolf has been sent to Maisy, courtesy of Cheetah Lover. Ceres Friggadottir has decided to go murder Blaze, and I honestly don't blame her. xlokiswolfx has decided to cuddle with the wolves a bit. Ninja Squirrel has dropped her shotgun. My ball pit privileges have been revoked, sadly, and I'm not sure they'll be given back any time soon...**

 **And a huge thank you to my beloved reviewers: Cheetah Lover, ferbette (Egil is an idiot. You'd think a guy with prophetic powers would know that you can't stop visions from happening, but here we are), Rosie Cowell (I love to write drama so I apologize if this gets a bit on the soap opera level of drama. :P), Kaikitty165 (because I'm eviiiiiiiil ;)), MetallicarBaby (ooh, wow, putting Thanos on the backburner in order to kill Blaze, I'm sure she's flattered and terrified), Lwolf, the guest reviewer, Ceres Friggadottir (of course I don't mind, I'll even let you borrow my knife), XinterestingX (good guessing!), xlokiswolfx (mwahahaha), Ninja Squirrel (*Pietro Maximoff voice* what, you didn't see that coming? ;)), Susan Drakian, darkangelynn5 (glad I'm keeping you on your toes), and TheLadyBookworm (can we all just agree that Odin is a poop head? ok, glad we're all on the same page lol). You guys are the best!**

 **TTFN! :D**


	103. Chapter 103

"When will she wake up?" Loki asked Idunn for the fifteenth time since they'd moved Maisy back to their room. She looked so pale, tiny, and frail lying under all of the blankets.

"I don't know," Idunn patted his hand, "It's different for everybody, but it could be a while considering how bad of shape she was in. Whatever enchantment you put on her ring to protect her must have been powerful to keep death at bay that long, but it might not have been enough."

After she'd eaten the apple and passed out, Maisy had stopped bleeding and Idunn had rushed up and carefully removed the knife from her chest, just as the wound closed. Then the older woman had instructed them to get her to bed and make her comfortable. Loki hadn't wanted anyone else to assist, but Mr. Sichore had been the one to scoop up his daughter and carry her to the room.

The angry Midgardian man had fallen asleep on the couch while waiting for Maisy to wake up. Loki wished that he could relax as easily. He could help berating himself for worrying so much over Maisy. He'd known from the beginning that he shouldn't get attached to her and the moment he did she was nearly taken away from him. That was why he couldn't allow himself to get close to anyone. They'd just get hurt and it would be his fault.

Now that she'd eaten from Idunn's apple Maisy would be healed completely of her lindworm wounds and be free of Odin's control over her. Loki knew what he had to do when she woke up. He'd have Thor annul the marriage and then Maisy would be sent home. That way she could have what she wanted, Loki would never have to worry about being overcome with emotion again, and everyone would be happy. After a while at least.

He'd resolved to send Maisy on her way back to Midgard when her nut brown eyes opened and he wondered how exactly he was supposed to go for the rest of his long life without looking into those eyes again.

"Gah!" Maisy's hands flew to her heart and she sat up, "Am I dead?"

Loki got up from where he was sitting next to Idunn and rushed over to sit on the bed by her knees. He grinned at her and she hesitantly smiled back.

"You're not dead," he promised her.

"Oh. Okay, that's great, um," she frowned at him, "Who are you again?"

His heart stopped beating and his smile slid from his face, leaving him with a shocked expression. He frantically tried to figure out what could have caused her to forget him. It could be because the apple was more magic than she'd been able to handle. Or maybe it was that blasted Egil Belison. Perhaps he'd cast a spell on Maisy to make her forget all of the horrors he'd committed and to make her forget Loki and her time in Asgard entirely.

"You don't remember me?"

She shook her head.

"That's never happened with an apple before," Idunn commented, walking over and putting a hand to Maisy's forehead.

"What apple?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Loki asked.

She scrunched up her face and shook her head.

"I guess, there was this _huge_ lizard that attacked me on the bus."

"Oh no," Loki looked at her worriedly, "You don't remember me at all? You don't even remember how I destroyed New York City?"

"Was that you?"

"Yes."

"Wow… you must be a terrible per-" Her sentence was cut off with a snort and loud snickers.

"What?!"

"I can't believe you fell for that!"

Loki glared and her and Idunn chuckled.

"You've gotten far too good at lying for my taste," he snapped, partially relieved and partially furious.

"Sorry," she laughed, "I'm sorry, I couldn't pass up the opportunity!"

"If you ever do that again you'll regret it," he promised her.

"Oh yeah? Whatcha gonna do about it?" Her giggling was silenced when he wrapped his arms around her and drew her to him, planting a firm kiss on her lips. He could feel her smiling as she kissed him back and he thought he might never let her go. He couldn't even think of letting her go to Midgard at the moment, all he could think about was how wonderfully close they were and how much closer they could be given a few moments.

"Hey! Get off of her!"

Maisy broke away and turned to look at her father, who'd woken and was glaring down at them with his arms crossed.

"Dad!"

Mr. Sichore smiled with relief at her and Loki backed off to allow the man to hug Maisy. The father and daughter embraced and it was shocking to see that Josh Sichore had tears streaming down his face.

"What the hell has been going on? Are you alright? Maisy, I was so worried about you!"

"I know Dad," Maisy patted her father on the back and he let of her, "I'm sorry. It's been crazy."

"Damn right it has," Mr. Sichore laughed a little.

"Give me a few minutes alone with Loki and I swear I'll explain it all to you when we're done. Okay?"

"No. I want to know now. And I'm not leaving you alone with this freak. It ain't happening, Maisy. As soon as that eye patch guy lets us we're going home. End of discussion."

"That's not the end of the discussion, Dad," Maisy glanced at Loki and he did his best to look encouraging, "I want to talk with Loki and then I'll talk to you. And the more you try to get me to do what you want the more I'll argue with you. So the more you argue the longer we'll be here."

"But," Mr. Sichore looked between the couple and shook his head, "Fine. You get fifteen minutes and then I busting that door down if I have to."

"Come along, Josh," Idunn gently led the man out of the room, "I doubt they'll spend the whole fifteen minutes kissing, but we ought to give them some privacy."

They left and Loki looked back at Maisy. She smiled at him and he took her hands in his.

"Maybe we ought to do as Idunn suggested, hmm? Spend a whole quarter of an hour liplocked?"

"As wonderful as that sounds," Maisy laughed, "I did have something I wanted to ask you about. And before I ask, I just want you to know that your answer won't change what I think of you. I'm just curious, okay?"

"Now you have me worried," Loki tried to laugh it off, "But I will endeavour to answer truthfully."

"Odin's not your dad, is he?"

Blast. She'd found out on her own. Someone in Muspelheim must have told her. She'd found out his heritage without him there to explain it to her or help her opinion along. Of course, she said she wouldn't change how she felt based off her answer, but he wasn't sure he believed that. How much did she know? Was she just testing to see if he'd lie to her or could he get away with telling her that his father, was indeed, Odin?

"No," he replied slowly, "Odin is not my father. He did raise me though."

"Okay," she nodded, "And your biological dad is someone called Loafy, right?"

"Laufey," Loki corrected, "Yes."

"Okay," Maisy shrugged, "I don't know why Surtur was so shocked that you hadn't told me that. He seemed to think it was a big deal."

"It is."

"I mean, of course it is, but I don't see why he thought I'd be freaked out over the fact that you're adopted," she squeezed his hands, "It actually kind of makes sense, I mean I never met your mom, but you don't look anything like Thor and Odin."

"Do you know who Laufey was?"

"Your dad, apparently."

"He was… a king. Of a realm that is an enemy of Asgard."

"Oh."

"Any guesses which realm?" Loki's laugh was strained and Maisy noticed and shook her head slowly, "I meant to tell you this, I truly did. But I never found an appropriate time."

"It's all good," she assured him, "I doubt it could get much worse than killing a bunch of people on my home planet."

"Laufey was the king of Jotunheim."

"Isn't that were the Frost Giants live?"

"Yes. And not much else can survive there."

"So how was your dad the king of all the Frost Giants?"

"He was one of them," Loki closed his eyes, "I'm one of them."

"Really?" Maisy gasped, "I mean, you're tall, but not, like, _giant_ tall, right?"

"I am a Jotun, if a small one," he opened his eyes and let her see his blue skin and red eyes. She blinked in surprise, pulling back slightly. He was fairly certain that his touch didn't burn like the others of his kind, but he was glad she'd let go of his hands just in case, even if it hurt that she didn't want to be near him.

"You're… blue," she slowly reached her hand forward and touched his face, "That explains the whole sunburn thing, I guess."

"Yes. As I said, Asgardians don't get sunburned."

"Wow," she was studying his face carefully.

"I am glad you found out, actually," Loki sighed, "This will make it easier for me to send you back to earth."

"What?"

"Now that you've had Idunn's apple you are free to go. I can get Thor and he'll divorce us so you can leave whenever you want."

"No!"

"No?"

"I don't want to go anywhere!" She exclaimed, looking panicked, "You're joking right? I don't have to go do I? Did Odin say I had to go?"

"No, but I assumed that..." he shook his head, "I'm a Frost Giant, Maisy, you don't want to stay with _me_ do you?"

"Like I said, it's not worse than killing a bunch of people, right?" She scooched closer to him, folding her legs under her, "I mean, it's your skin and eye color, right? It's not making you more evil. It's not like being a Frost Giant completely changes who you are or anything."

"Fair enough," Loki had begun to feel the same way about it. It had taken some time to shake off the feeling that Jotun's were horrid no matter who they were because that's how he and Thor had been raised to think. They'd never seen Frost Giants as anything more than a race of monsters to be slayed. "But you are free to go home with your father. Don't you want that?"

"Nope," Maisy shrugged with a smile, "I want the choice to go home when I want, but right now I'm pretty content in Asgard with you."

Loki opened his mouth to reply, but she jumped forward and kissed him before he could. He chuckled and pulled back.

"Aren't you eager?"

"I've spent the last two months wishing the lips that were kissing me were yours," she replied and Loki wanted to go find Egil and slit his throat, "I'm pretty happy now that I've got the real deal right in front of me."

"You're sure you want this?" He asked quietly, "You're sure you don't want to go back to New York or California?"

"I'm good right where I am. Unless, of course, you want me gone! I'm sorry! I didn't even think of that!" She started to get up, "Oh my gosh, I'm such an idiot, I'm sorry! If you want me to go, I'm gone. Just say the word. I'm so stupid, you probably didn't even want me to kiss you-"

"Maisy," Loki took her hand, "Kiss me again."

 **A note from the author: *grins* Ta-da! She lived! He lived! They all lived! I was just being a horrible person dragging it out! Everything is fine and wonderful! For now... But seriously, you guys, it's mostly just tying up loose ends from here on out. If there weren't so many chapters left I might even just say that the rest is epilogue, but some pretty important things do happen. The important things are just mixed in with a lot of fluff, so I hope you don't mind!**

 **PFoD update: Am I allowed in now or do I have to wait until the end of the story to prove I don't have any nasty surprises in store? I promise I'll behave!**

 **As always I am incredibly grateful to any and all who have taken the time to read this far. You guys really do make me ridiculously happy!**

 **And some of you make me twice as happy by telling me your thoughts on the story and occasionally threatening my life. So thank you darling reviewers: ferbette (Odin wouldn't dare touch Linn, either she'd pepper spray him or he'd be too scared because hell hath no fury like Maisy and Loki when their laundress is threatened), guest reiviewer 1 (don't worry, we've still got plenty left!), Cheetah Lover (I hope this satisfies for the time being ;)), guest reviewer 2 (I think that, seeing as Loki has gotten so attached to Maisy and Loki's been behaving himself lately, Odin probably would have hesitantly saved her if he could have. Probably. He can be a bit of a poop head at times.), Ninja Squirrel (PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! See, I made it happy again! It's all good! Just put the shot gun down! ;)), Susan Drakian (I had so much fun making it so dramatic, believe me), darkangelynn5 (he probably doesn't want Loki to suffer the loss of Maisy, but he's probably doesn't like Maisy enough that he would do anything to drastic to save her, if that makes sense. He cares, but not** ** _that_** **much.), yellowroseofthenw (boy, am I glad she woke up otherwise I'd be pummeled right now *wipes sweat off forehead* that was a close one), and guest reviewer 3 (even though you are back in chapter 71, thanks for reviewing!). Love you all!**

 **TTFN!**


	104. Chapter 104

"I do not wish to stir up trouble with Surtur," Odin said and Blaze rolled her eyes beside Egil, "So I will be sending you both back to him."

"What? Too afraid to kill me yourself?" Blaze scoffed and Egil would have elbowed her harshly if his hands weren't secured with chains behind his back.

"If I were to allow anyone the privilege of killing you, Gala Tyrdottir, you know I would let Loki do it. But despite my earlier decree, I will not have you executed."

"Please Odin," Egil finally spoke up, his voice raw and tired, "Did Maisy survive? Can I at least know that before I go?"

"Idunn's apple saved her," Odin nodded, "And she sent word to tell you that Surtur may have plans to execute you himself. Despite all that you have done to that Midgardian woman she still did not want you to be beheaded."

"She lives," Egil breathed, smiling and already planning a way to get her back. Just because she'd survived his vision did not mean that he was willing to let her go. In time he was certain she'd learn to love him again.

"Surtur would never kill us!" Blaze laughed.

Egil narrowed his eyes. The crazed redhead beside him would have to die. Plain and simple. She'd stabbed Maisy out of spite and anger. That was unforgivable. As soon as the chains were off his hands he'd find a way to kill her. It was a shame, as she'd been like a sister to him since Odin had cast her out, but it was easy enough to look past that when thinking about the blood pouring from Maisy's chest.

"I will leave that up to him," Odin waved his hand and the guards began to escort the two warriors from Muspelheim to the Rainbow Bridge.

When the Bifrost deposited them right at the mouth of the cave entrance Egil grimaced. There were several guards who'd been sent out to meet them, providing no time to kill Blaze. He'd have to wait until they had a moment after Surtur debriefed them and then he might invite her for dinner. Poison might work, but he'd prefer to get more personal with a knife to the heart.

As he was happily contemplating ways to kill the woman he called sister, he was led by the Fire Goblin guards to the foot of Surtur's throne. The fire giant was sitting and watching them closely.

"My Lord Surtur!" Egil bowed as well as he was able with his chains, "It is good to return home and see you again."

"You've only been gone a day or so," Surtur pointed out, "But I see you return in chains and with your dear friend, Blaze."

"We had a disagreement with Odin," Egil replied, hoping to get through this as quickly as possible so that he could just hurry up and kill Blaze.

"Welcome home."

"It is good to be home, sire," Blaze grinned genuinely, "I've missed it."

"What of our plan to put the trickster on the throne of Asgard?"

"If you're asking if I'm a married woman, no. Sichore interrupted the wedding," Blaze pouted, "I am sorry, Lord Surtur."

"There will be other schemes," Surtur assured, "You did well otherwise."

Egil couldn't believe that their boss was congratulating Blaze for failing.

"Lord Surtur," he piped up, "I'd like to take this time to request permission to sneak back into Asgard - using the fireplaces - so that I might be able to reclaim-"

"You did not tell me that you and Maisy Sichore were no longer courting."

"I didn't see how it was relevant," Egil shrugged and then made to continue with his plea.

"Not relevant?" Surtur's booming laugh filled the cavern, "Not _relevant_ he says. Can you believe this?"

The dragon had been let out of its cave and was sitting next to the throne like a loyal dog. It made a hissing sound that was almost reminiscent of laughter and Surtur patted its head lovingly.

"I don't get the joke."

"Egil Belison, you kidnapped a woman who refused you. A woman who was _married_ for the Norns' sake!"

"It wasn't a real marriage," Egil spat, his mind burning with the image of Maisy rushing to Loki and kissing him in front of everyone.

"It was still a marriage. And she still refused you! No means no, Belison!"

"She is Midgardian, she doesn't know what is best for her!"

"When I spoke to her she didn't seem like an idiot to me," Surtur's voice took on a warning tone, "I will give you one more chance to drop the thought of her completely. I know your curse won't let you forget her, but you must at least stop acting on your feelings."

Egil was suddenly remembering what Odin had said before they'd left, about Maisy wanting to warn him of something. Beheading, perhaps? But Surtur needed Egil too much to ever kill him. He wouldn't lay a giant fiery finger on him.

"Maisy is my other half. I won't leave her in the hands of that spoiled prince."

"You would directly disobey one of my commands?"

"With the utmost respect, sire, I need to do this."

"No."

"No?"

"You will either stay here and do as I tell you or you will die here disobeying me," Surtur leaned forward, "You have had a second and third chance, Egil Belison."

"What are you saying?"

"Will you leave Maisy Sichore and move on?"

"You know that I can't, she's _mine_."

"Very well, guards, take him to the cage."

"The cage!" Egil exclaimed almost laughing in surprise.

"No, please, you can't do that to him! I'm sure he'll forget about her soon enough!" Blaze yelped pleadingly.

"No I won't," Egil snarled at her as fire goblins surrounded him, "If I'm going down, you're coming with me, Gala!"

"Egil? What are you talking about?"

"You tried to kill Maisy!"

"Oh come, Egil, you know it was for the best! I was just doing it for you! And because that stupid Loki pissed me off."

Egil didn't listen to her protests, he used as much magic as he was able to snap his chains and then blast several fire goblins into oblivion. He jumped toward Blaze and her eyes widened as she backed away. She was able to swing her arms low enough and jump high enough that her chained hands were now in the front.

"I am on your side, Egil!"

"No, you aren't, you filthy wretch! I'm starting to see why Tyr never wanted you!"

Blaze threw a weak fireball at him, but he dodged easily and was on her in a moment. He had a knife out and aimed for her heart, but before he could a giant scalding hand scooped him up. Surtur sighed and reached far above his head, stuffing Egil in a small, empty, two-person cage above the throne room.

"Nooo! Let me out!"

"You will remain there until I say otherwise," the fire giant king declared and then sat back down, "Blaze, are you alright?"

"Yeah," she sadly glared up at Egil and he threw a ball of magic down at her. She dodged easily.

"For your brave work in Asgard, you will be rewarded. For now, you must be tired, go rest and eat."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Blaze sent one last glare at Egil and he screamed at her, "Oh shut up, Egil!"

"What happened to me being your brother?!"

"That was before you started acting a hell of a lot like my real brother," Blaze called, trying to sound fierce, but Egil heard the crack in her voice, "I hope you die with more pain than he did!"

Egil cursed until his throat was dry and well past the time when Blaze left. It was just him and the sweltering heat of Muspelheim for all eternity.

 **A note from the author: In case you didn't catch it, Egil is the skeleton that Thor is talking to in the beginning of Ragnarok. I just thought it was kind of a fun way to end him because it makes it seem like this whole story is the backstory for that one skeleton. Of course, just leaving him to rot in a cage isn't the most satisfactory death, so we see a bit more of Egil in the sequel...**

 **PFoD update: Kaikitty165 has a bazooka pointed at Egil (and as long as I can bring him back for the sequel you have my permission to blow him to kingdom come). If I don't let Maisy and Loki be happy forever I will be eaten by Cheetah Lover's wolves. AND, I've been granted access to the pillow fort by ferbette! Ha! Even though I'm not allowed in the ball pit yet and I have to sit at the naughty table if I misbehave. But I'm in!**

 **Thank you to my lovely reviewers, who I feared would riot if Maisy did not wake up: Kaikitty165, Carpe Diem Vampire (nice to see you again, sorry the other story didn't work out, but glad you are here!), Cheetah Lover (it's all okay now, I promise! At least for now!), MetallicarBaby, XinterestingX, ferbette (*bows graciously* I shall do my best to earn my place in the ball pit, but I'm not sure how well that will go considering I haven't finished writing the sequel yet...), Rosie Cowell, xlokiswolfx (lets just say, Mr. Sichore is** ** _not_** **happy), guest reviewer who I am assuming is Ninja Squirrel due to the content of your review (the definitely spent the rest of the fifteen minutes smooching), and yellowroseofthenw (your review made me laugh so hard because I just pictured Julie Andrews in Sound of Music spinning happily through the mountains, but saying "weeeeeeee" and then stopping and staring straight into the camera and saying "and now for the cute little babies". XD). You guys are the best!**

 **Thank you so much for reading! Hope to see you in the next chapter!**


	105. Chapter 105

"You've decided to stay," Odin said and Maisy nodded. They were alone in the throne room with only a handful of guards to listen in. She hadn't really been surprised when he'd summoned her.

"I have. I hope that's not going to cause more trouble between us?"

The Allfather stared at her for a long time, his one eye looking thoughtful. She still didn't think that he was the most understanding of people and she wouldn't be surprised if he came up with a whole new set of rules for her to follow. She didn't care if he did. He didn't have any power over her anymore and she could leave when she wanted to. And once Loki's probation was over, which Thor was assuring her would be soon, then he'd be able to come and visit her on Midgard. They'd make it work somehow.

"No. I will not protest to this union," the king turned his gaze to his spear and examined it carefully, "It is hard for me to admit when I am wrong, Midgardian, but I fear that I was not using your union as effectively as I should have been."

"What do you mean?"

"I have only been focused on the fact that Loki was using you to spite me. I had not considered that at the same time he was changing," Odin actually _smiled_ at her, "You've brought some transformation to my wayward son."

Maisy tried to ignore the fact that _Carry On Wayward Son_ started playing in her head.

"I mean, he doesn't seem quite as murderous as he used to," she shrugged, "But I don't think _I_ had a whole lot to do with that."

"He has changed in other ways too," Odin assured her, "He has started caring about the welfare of Asgard again. Before you came he only cared if he was on the throne, but now I see that he is willing to protect our realm even if there is nothing in it for him."

"I didn't do anything to change him-"

"Maisy Sichore, you have the annoying habit of trying to belittle your own accomplishments when I am trying to give you praise," the king snapped, "Please shut up while I finish."

"Yes, sir."

"It is impossible to prove if you actually had anything to do with the change in my son, but I do know that the shift in him began after you came," Odin sighed a little, "I had no hope for him ever changing after my wife was killed. I do not know if he will ever go back to the way he was before he attacked New York, but at least now I have hope that he is on the right path. For that, I thank you."

Maisy was stunned by this. Odin had never regarded her with anything but contempt. Now the king of Asgard was thanking for something she wasn't even sure that she'd done. Maybe there was hope for her getting along with her father-in-law after all.

"Um, no problem, Your Majesty," she rubbed her arm awkwardly.

"I do have a question for you," Odin shifted in his seat, "The citizens of Asgard are in a state of confusion after the wedding ceremony. Would you and Loki be willing to go through with another ceremony just to clear things up? I recognize that you are already wed, but this will help the people acknowledge that fact."

"I'm not sure," Maisy replied, "Can I talk with Loki about it?"

"Certainly," Odin nodded, "I am glad to see that you trust his opinion, though it is not likely you will find others who do."

He waved his hand to dismiss her and she turned to go, but then turned back when she thought of something. The king looked at her questioningly.

"Sir, if you don't mind, could I possibly ask you something?"

He nodded.

"So, I just had a teeny tiny piece of Idunn's apple, right? But it healed me and," she pulled her collar over her shoulder to show the healed skin, "It got rid of my scars from the lindworm and everything, but did it really give me the lifespan of an Asgardian?"

"Not many receive a gift as precious as you did. And those who have tend to die heroic deaths before we can find out just how the apple affects them," Odin said, "But from what Idunn tells me, it should give you as many years as an Asgardian your age would have."

"What's that mean? Cuz Loki said when he was fifteen he was pretty much a baby, and I'm only twenty-four. So does that mean I've got as many years left as an Asgardian toddler?"

"No. I mean that you have as many years left as an Asgardian of your physical maturity level," Odin said, sounding like he was getting annoyed with her again, "So you will not outlive Loki by thousands of years."

"Oh, okay, that's what I was worried about, so thanks. Okay, I'll go now."

Maisy speedily walked out of the throne room, not wanting to undo Odin's kind words to her and make him hate her again.

* * *

Loki couldn't help but take a little pleasure in the fact that Mr. Sichroe was absolutely furious over the fact that Maisy was staying in Asgard. The man had been so mad when Maisy told him that he'd even attracted Odin's attention and had been thrown in the dungeon for a night. He was released eventually and sent to his guest room in the palace with the rest of Maisy's family. The people who Loki was on his way to visit now.

It was only fair that while Maisy had to talk to her father-in-law that Loki had to as well. So, he found himself knocking on the door in the guest wing and ducking the punch that greeted him. Mr. Sichore was, evidently, still riled up.

"Good afternoon to you too," Loki chuckled.

"Unless you are here to tell me that Maisy is coming home then I don't want to see your ugly alien face!"

"I thought I would come and smooth things over with you. Maisy has been through great trials recently and I thought it would ease her mind to know that her husband and her father could get along."

"Who's at the door, Josh?!" A hideous voice growled from within the room.

"It's the alien!" Mr. Sichore hollered back.

"Bring him in! I want to meet him!"

"I don't want him stepping foot near you!"

"Bring. Him. In!"

"Yes dear," Mr. Sichore muttered and then opened the door wider, gesturing for Loki to enter. He was surprised to find that his stomach actually clenched at the idea of meeting Maisy's stepmother and brothers. He didn't know much about them, but from what Thor had told him the mother hated Maisy.

"Mmm, he ain't bad lookin'," the hoarse and screeching voice laughed and Loki looked up and could immediately tell that this creature was not Maisy's biological mother. It wasn't that the woman was ugly, in fact by Midgardian standards she was probably considered attractive by some, but there was just too much of her too take in. Her eyes were enormous, even if they were only half opened at all times, her blonde hair was thin, but had somehow been poofed up on top of her head into a mountain of straw, and her lips were like two couches covered in blood. Apart from that, she had a very fine face if you could get past the expression and the ill feeling you got when looking at her.

Perhaps it was true what they said, you could have perfect features, but if the person within was ugly it showed on your face easily. And this woman must have been a mess on the inside because there was something about her lovely features that were twisted and sinister.

"This probably isn't how he really looks," Mr. Sichore grouched, pointing his thumb at Loki, "He probably has one with tentacles like that guy in that movie - the pirate one."

"With Orlando Bloom?"

"No, with Johnny Depp!"

"I'm pretty sure it's Orlando Bloom."

"Whatever," Mr. Sichore pointed at Loki, "This is the thing my little girl is married to. You happy?"

"Come here, alien boy!" The woman demanded. Loki didn't move.

"You must be Mrs. Sichore," he said, "I wish I could say it was a pleasure to meet you."

"It ain't Sichore. We ain't married yet. Just engaged. I'm Ima Hogg."

"Well of course! Anyone can clearly see the relation between you and hogs," Loki smiled pleasantly and Mr. Sichore narrowed his eyes, "How long have you been engaged?"

"What is it now, Joshy? Ten years?"

"Twelve."

"No, I'm pretty sure it's ten."

"Whatever."

"How nice for you," Loki couldn't believe that even someone like Josh Sichore wasn't smart enough to break off an engagement with this woman after the first month.

"How about you and little Miss Maisy, huh? How long you been engaged?"

"We're actually married," Loki replied smoothly, glancing around the living area and spotting a man poking his head out of one of the bedroom doors. They made eye contact, but the man darted back into the room and quietly closed the door.

"No you ain't," Ima Hogg replied, "That whole wedding fiasco was interrupted by that goth chick busting in and getting stabbed by Maisy. I always knew that girl of yours was a killer, Josh."

"I think you're confused…" Loki started to explain but was cut off by Mr. Sichore.

"Maisy wouldn't hurt a fly! She explained the whole thing to me, Ima, the bride was actually an imposter and the girl with the black hair was Maisy. She was kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend - hey, Loki, you know what happened to that scumbag?"

"Sent back to his home."

"Crap, I wanted to give him a piece of my mind," Mr. Sichore grumbled.

" _Maisy_ had a boyfriend?!" The man popped out of the room, followed by two identical looking men, all in various states of dress. The first wearing several layers of mismatched clothing, the second an average amount, and the third nothing but his undergarments.

"You three playing strip poker?!" Ima hollered.

"No," the first man said, "I'm freezing in this stupid castle, but Chet says it's too hot."

"It _is_ too hot, Todd," the one in his underwear sneered, "I can't believe you're not melted."

"Back on subject," Todd said, "Who the hell would ever want to date that ugly, skinny rat of a girl?"

"Watch your tongue!" Mr. Sichore snarled, fists clenching, "Or I'll cut it out!"

"I'd be inclined to let you borrow my knife," Loki agreed, offering a blade.

"You stay away from my babies!" Ima shrilled.

"Then tell these three stooges to shut their traps about my daughter!"

"Boys! Shut up about Maisy before Josh freaks out!"

"Who is this Shakespeare nerd anyway?" Todd pointed with his chin at Loki and Loki smiled evilly at him.

"This is Maisy's husband," Mr. Sichore replied wearily, "He was just leaving."

"I wanted to stop by and meet the rest of you," Loki nodded, "How odd it is that someone like Maisy could come from a family like this."

"She is kind of a black sheep," Chet agreed, "Sorry you got stuck with her, man, sucks for you."

"I tried my best with that brat," Ima rolled her eyes, "But she's just a sniveling worm and she'll never change. You should divorce when you get the chance."

"The only worms in Asgard sit before me, I'm afraid," Loki smiled, hands behind his back. With a slight bow, he turned to go. It took the mother and brothers a moment to process what he'd said and then they started shouting vile words at him. He had to stop himself from going back in when Ima started insulting Maisy with words no person of class would ever use.

He got part way down the hall before he heard the door open and close again. When he glanced behind him, he saw the man with an average amount of clothing following behind him and waving him down. Loki stopped and crossed his arms, glaring at the one he assumed was Bret.

"What is it, Midgardian?"

"I just," his grey eyes were wide, "I just wanted to make sure Maisy was okay. Josh said something about her getting stabbed, and I saw someone getting rushed out of the ceremony two days ago."

"Why should you care?"

"Look, I know my brothers are idiots, but I just want to know if she's going to be alright."

Loki looked him over shrewdly. This one had actually combed his hair and his face was not disgustingly greasy. There was genuine worry on his face and he looked anxious. Perhaps a member of the stepfamily actually did care about Maisy.

"She was healed and is up and about again," Loki finally said, "She has decided to remain in Asgard for the time being."

"She isn't going back to school?"

"She hasn't said that she wants to, but I am not certain."

"And you…" Bret gestured to Loki uncertainly, "You care about her? For real?"

"I do."

"You care if I tag along and say hello to Maisy? I haven't seen her in a while… well, I thought I saw her a few days ago, but apparently, that was an imposter. I'd kind of like to just talk to her a minute if you don't mind."

"Fine."

"Really?"

"If you upset her don't be surprised if I gut you."

"Sounds good."

Maisy and Loki had agreed to meet in the garden earlier, which was good because Loki didn't want any of her stepbrothers knowing where she lived. The trio of dunces would probably show up at all hours pestering them.

When Loki and Bret got to the garden Maisy was already there, sitting on the edge of the fountain and kicking her legs. When she looked up and saw them her brows skyrocketed and she jumped to her feet. Loki watched her reaction carefully, wondering what she thought of seeing her brother.

"Bret."

"Maisy," Bret looked relieved, "You're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Um, how are you? Haven't seen you in a while."

"I'm good. Mom is driving me nuts, but you know. It's all good."

"Good."

"Yeah."

"Does someone care to explain why this brother is completely normal compared to the other two?" Loki asked after an awkward minute of silence. Maisy brushed her black hair out of her eyes and nodded.

"Um, yeah, sorry," she stepped closer to them and shot a quick smile his way, grabbing his hand and weaving her fingers through his, "Bret is… well, like you said, the normal one."

"And he is _nice_ to you?"

"Relatively, eh Bret?" Maisy laughed and the other man laughed along.

"I blow up one Barbie doll and I'm a villain for life! You were twelve, you didn't even play with them anymore!"

"Birthday Barbie had sentimental value!" Maisy scolded jokingly, "But I will admit that seeing her fly through the air on that firework was pretty cool."

"I'm surprised you could see it through your tears," Bret shook his head, "Sheesh, I was Sid from _Toy Story_ , wasn't I?"

"Yeah, except you were eighteen and should have known better," Maisy rolled her eyes and turned back to Loki, "Anyway, Bret is… different than the other two. He doesn't hate me just because his mom does and he actually tries to get along. He's pretty chill."

"Well, I am glad to learn that at least one member of your family is not insane," Loki commented, shaking Bret's hand.

"And Bret, I guess you've already met Loki, but, uh, this is Loki."

"And he treats you okay and everything?"

"Definitely," Maisy nodded and rested her head on Loki's shoulder. It was odd how before she'd gone to Muspelheim they seemed to be constantly walking the line between friends and something more, but now that she was back she'd jumped right in and pulled Loki with her. He couldn't say he minded.

"Sorry, bro, but I had to ask," the man chuckled.

"At least you did not accuse me of manipulating her into being with me or write me off as a dangerous alien monster," Loki smirked.

"Nah man," Bret laughed, "Not sure I exactly trust you or even like you, but I'm not the one who married you so my opinion kind of doesn't matter."

"Oh, he is _very_ different from your father, isn't he?"

"You know, out of all the dudes who have weighed in on this whole marriage business," Maisy gave her brother a hug, "Yours is one of the only opinions that does matter."

"Aw," Bret chuckled, "Not even Josh?"

"Once he sets his mind to something he won't let it go, and he already made up his mind about people from other planets the first time he saw _Alien_."

There was silence for a moment.

"So, um Egil turned out to be not so great, huh?" Bret asked.

"Yeah, not so much."

"I thought you said your family didn't know you were ever dating anyone," Loki commented.

"Whenever my family doesn't know something about me, Bret is usually the exception," Maisy smiled, "He even flew out to New York and met Egil one time."

"I thought he was totally normal. Sorry he turned out to be such a psycho."

"Me too," Maisy's shoulders drooped a little and Loki wished he could erase whatever it was that Egil had done to her in Muspelheim. He also found himself agreeing with Mr. Sichore of all people, wishing he'd been able to give Egil a piece of his mind via a knife to the gut.

"It was great to catch up," Bret smiled, "But I should probably get back before Mom starts thinking I was abducted for experiments or…"

"Breeding purposes," the two said together with mirrored smiles of annoyance that could only be witnessed on the faces of siblings who had to deal with embarrassing parents.

"I'll see you later," Maisy gave him another hug and Bret turned around to walk back through the palace to his room. Loki watched him go only a moment before turning to Maisy.

"How did the chat with Odin go?"

"Surprisingly well! He wants to know if we want to have a wedding ceremony just so the people of Asgard aren't too confused. I wasn't sure if you'd want to go through with that again or not so I told him that I didn't know."

"I don't see why we shouldn't," Loki shrugged, "Perhaps if we do it soon we can reuse some of the decorations from the last one. Of course," he took her hand carefully, "Only if you want to."

"Well, I kind of promised Linn that she could be my maid-of-honor, so we have to, don't we?" She laughed and stretched to give him a peck on the cheek, "Besides, I wouldn't mind an excuse to kiss you."

"I have a question for you," Loki said.

"Shoot."

"What changed?"

"What do you mean?"

"Before Egil stole you away, we were good friends I would like to think."

"Agreed."

"I was about to ask you how you felt about," he ran his fingers through her hair, "Us. As more of an us. But I was not sure that you would agree. You seemed to shrink away from my touch at times and denied me when I tried to kiss you. However, now you can't keep your hands off me."

"I can too!" She rolled her eyes, "You make me sound like I'm clingy or something."

"I never said that I minded," he laughed, leaning down and whispering against her cheek, "I'm just curious about what brought about the difference."

She paused and pulled away, studying his face. He wondered if he'd offended her with his question, hoping this wouldn't bring them back to square one. Especially since she could leave any time she wanted to now. Maisy was of a forgiving nature, he'd noticed, but too many wrong moves and she could be gone forever.

"You know, you weren't the only one who was thinking about us as an us," she said finally and Loki couldn't help but let out a breath of relief, "And apparently everyone knew I was in love with you before I did. _Melantha_ pestered me about it when we were talking alone."

Loki could hardly say that he knew that. He'd been eavesdropping. He knew that it hadn't really been that drastic of a change before and after she'd been kidnapped, but he wanted to give her a chance to explore the feeling herself now that it was out in the open. Wanted to make sure it wasn't just a brief infatuation she was feeling now that she was away from Egil.

"Anyway, when I was in Muspelheim I realized something," she smiled at him, "You are nothing like Egil."

"That is a relief to hear."

"Seriously though," she said, "I know a long while back I accused you of being possessive like him, and maybe you are a bit-"

"Believe me, I am more possessive than I let on," Loki admitted, "I just am not stupid enough to act on it after how many times I've seen you berate him about it."

"See! There's the big difference! You might screw up a lot, but you at least try to change and make things better! I asked you to stop touching me after the, uh, bed incident and you actually did," she took his hand in hers again, "Egil never listened."

"No?" He could sense she needed to get a good rant about him out of her system.

"Never! You know what he told me? He told me he was training me to obey him! How sick is that?! And to do it he kissed me every time I did something he didn't like! It made me feel like some kind of dog or something!"

"Undoubtedly," Loki squeezed her hand comfortingly and pictured all of the ways Egil Belison could die.

"One day I actually got nerve enough to attack him," her eyes darkened and her bottom lip trembled a little, "And he used magic to weld these onto my wrists!"

When she held up a wrist to indicate the bronze cuff there Loki's eyes narrowed and he quickly took her wrist in his hand and examined the piece. Sure enough, there was no seam for her to take it off. Up until this point he'd assumed the peculiar magical bracelets were just a fashion choice. Now he knew they were another scar that Egil had left, like the stubbornly black hair, and his mind was coming up with a hundred different ways to get them off.

"What did he say they were for?" Loki asked, still studying the cuff.

"He said they would make sure he never lost me again and he used them to chain me to stuff when I was bothering him," her whole person was shaking now, "One day I was refusing to eat breakfast because I was so mad at him. He snapped his fingers and _poof!_ A chain sprung out of my chair and attached to the cuffs. He said I couldn't leave the table until I ate something! Like I was a toddler!"

"He chained you down?!"

"To everything! The bed, the chairs, the mantle - whenever he thought I had a little bit too much freedom there were chains coming out of everything!"

"I'd go to Muspelheim and kill him if I didn't think Surtur already had."

She exhaled loudly and shook her head.

"I don't want him to die. I just want him to leave me alone. I hope Surtur didn't kill him."

"You are too kind for your own good sometimes," Loki scratched at the bronze, "And it drives me crazy."

"Sorry," she muttered and then nodded at the cuff, "Is there anything you can do to get that off?"

"I'll have to study it more, but this does not seem to be as well enforced as the hair," he dropped her wrist and looked at her again, "Which I'm working on a potion for anyway. If Melantha is still here after that mess of a wedding I might ask her advice on it."

"Really?" Her eyes lit up, "I can go back to actually _fun_ hair colors? Not this boring pitch colored, uh..."

"Rude."

"Not that black isn't a good look on you," she laughed, "But I've really been wanting to try unicorn hair!"

"Unicorn."

"Yeah! It's this super cool thing where you dye your hair various pastel shades! One of the models at the last fashion show I went to had her hair dyed that way and I've been wanting to try it ever since," Maisy's eyes lit up like they did whenever she talked about style and all traces of the terror and pain that had been on her face moments ago disappeared, "Of course, I'm thinking of doing blonde again for the wedding - ooh! Or maybe a green to platinum ombre!"

Loki smiled as they walked around the garden, Maisy babbling away about the shades she wanted to dye her hair, now that she knew it could be done with magic. Apparently changing hair color on earth cost quite a bit and damaged hair. She was thrilled when she learned how easy it was to do it with a spell. Loki didn't care much what color her hair was, he was just happy to hear joy in her voice and to see a light in her eyes.

 **A note from the author: Now we've met Maisy's full family (except that mysterious missing mother). They probably weren't completely necessary to the plot, but I wanted to throw them in because I'm going to use them a bit more in the sequel probably.**

 **Thank you so much to everyone for reading! I hope you enjoy the fluff from here on out! To be honest, the sequel was originally going to be just fluff, but as I've been writing it... well... I'm afraid I've been misbehaving again.**

 **As per usual, a huge thank you to my reviewers: Ceres Friggadottir (yes! A sequel! I've already written over 50k words for it, believe it or not!), Ninja Squirrel (*draws target on Egil* fire away! In regards to your other comment: we shall see about the adorable child...), Cheetah Lover (yay! The wolves and I are all friends now!), Kaikitty165, Paden, ferbette (Egil's got a lot of issues and, uh, no spoilers, but he never really works through them), and Carpe Diem Vampire (glad you're still loving it!). Thanks so much guys!**

 **Until next time! :)**


	106. Chapter 106

"I'm so glad you're you," Linn said for about the fiftieth time, "Cuz not _you_ you was a horrible person."

"I'm sorry that you had to put up with her," Maisy cooed, as she pulled her sketchbook out of her backpack and all of the drawing implements she'd brought with her. Pencils, crayons, markers, and inks rolled across the table as she put them down. She regarded her sketchbook for a moment and then grabbed a stack of paper from Loki's desk instead.

"Wow," Linn picked up a pack of markers and examined them, "Did anything else even fit in your backpack with all of this stuff in there?"

"Sketchbook, emergency makeup pouch, phone, wallet, sunscreen, and uh…" Maisy rifled through her backpack to see if there was anything else, "Few other odds and ends. But yeah, it's mostly drawing stuff and swatches."

"Have you ever made a wedding dress before?" Linn asked, already starting to build an impressive structure (which looked suspiciously like the Eiffel Tower) out of the drawing tools.

"Nope, but I've always wanted to try! How about you?"

"Pssh, no. No one ever would want a foreign laundry girl making the most important dress of their life!"

"Well, I do! At least, I want your help."

Linn giggled excitedly and burst into spontaneous jazz hands.

"I can't wait! This is going to be the best fing ever!"

"Not if we don't get to work," Maisy passed the other girl a piece of paper, "I'm thinking we can both do some rough sketches and then work on some together, sound good?"

Linn was already drawing a human form on her paper. Maisy laughed and did the same. They worked for a few hours, comparing sketches and working together for a bit before breaking apart to work on their own again. They were so involved in their designs that they didn't notice when Loki walked into the room until he picked up their best design so far, which was propped up against Maisy's sketchbook in the middle of the table.

"Hey!" They both yelped and grabbed at the paper, he held it out of their reach, still admiring.

"This will certainly make a statement," he commented before handing it back, "I quite like it. Is that the final design?"

"Not anymore!" Linn declared and Maisy nodded.

"What?"

"It's bad luck for the groom to see the dress before the wedding!" Maisy laughed, "Isn't that a thing here?"

"That is the most idiotic custom I've heard yet," Loki scoffed, but he pressed a kiss to her forehead anyway, "Besides, we are already wed. It shouldn't matter."

"Oh it does," Linn grinned at the display of affection, "It totally does. And you ain't seeing the dress until Maisy's wearing it down the aisle!"

"Alright, fine," he rolled his eyes, "I was just curious."

"And you're gonna stay curious!"

"Apparently so," he ruffled Linn's short hair, "And what of your dress? Does the maid-of-honor also keep her gown a secret?"

"Nah," Linn held up a picture of a long, pine colored dress, "We designed this ages ago. Whatcha think?"

"You will certainly be the second most beautiful woman in the room," Loki smirked and both women blushed profusely.

"Not that your presence isn't welcome," Maisy said taking his hand and twisting her fingers with his, "But, uh, it's kinda not welcome. What brings you here?"

"As I said, I was simply curious," Loki shrugged, "And Thor is getting on my nerves. He's invited the Avengers, something I thankfully avoided with the last ceremony… due to the fact that Blaze hates them as much as I do."

"Of course they're coming!" Maisy exclaimed, "I can't wait to see them!"

"They might be less enthused about seeing you again," Loki winced.

"Why?"

"Blaze and I put on a little show," Loki proceeded to describe the fake horrors he'd told them he'd committed and how Blaze had acted like she fully endorsed the ideas while pretended to be Maisy. The real Maisy cringed.

"That could be a problem, but I'm sure they'll be fine once we explain it to them!"

"Certainly! As long as you haven't committed heinous crimes in the past few years I'm sure they'd be more than willing to forgive you," Loki commented, only a little bitterly.

"It's not like they are free of crimes themselves," Maisy pointed out, "Natasha for example... not to mention the Big Guy."

Loki didn't respond to that. He merely bent to give her another kiss - which caused Linn to squeal quietly - and then headed for the door.

"I shall leave the two of you to your planning and designing," he waved, "No pressure, but it's the dress you'll officially become a princess in so…"

"Oh crap!" Maisy exclaimed, turning bright red, "I forgot about that!"

Loki just chuckled and walked away, leaving Linn and Maisy to discuss the implications of this being a _royal_ wedding. They hadn't thought of it in that way before and now they were wrinkling all of their old designs and starting fresh with the word "princess" burning in their minds.

 **A note from the author: *throws glitter in the air* Fluff! It's all fluff from here folks! Thank you for reading, I hope you are enjoying this!**

 **Special thanks to my favorite people on this whole website, the reviewers: ferbette, Cheetah Lover (not sure if the one normal person in her family, Bret, will show up much in the sequel, but at least we know she** ** _has_** **a normal family member), nina del carmen, Lwolf (never fear, there is much more to be seen in the sequel!), TheLadyBookworm (I love your fan fan fiction! I might have to sneak some of those ideas into the sequel! :)), Ninja Squirrel (*covers with more blankets and whispers* yay! Hope classes don't wear you out too much!), and Carpe Diem Vampire (Maisy's family really is the worst and, lucky us, there will be plenty of them in the sequel and plenty of Loki and Josh bonding time! Hurray!). You guys are seriously the best and I'm going to keep saying it.**

 **I'm going to attempt to post the next chapter tonight, so be ready for it! :D**


	107. Chapter 107

Wedding planning was a haze of wonder and confusion. Maisy seemed to be enjoying herself, but surprisingly, Loki was having less fun planning this wedding ceremony than he'd had trying to sabotage his fake one. Even if the company was better, he frequently found himself dozing off at the meetings with the chief planner.

The problem was that the wedding planner and Maisy got along too well. It felt like they spent hours chatting before they even got to the actual planning part. Then they'd debate an issue for a long time, declare they'd get back to it, and move on to debate and never resolve another issue. He was starting to regret agreeing to having the wedding, but whenever he saw how excited Maisy, Linn, and Thor got about it he just rolled his eyes and braced himself for another boring planning session.

"Loki? Yoo-hoo? Loki, you still with us?" Maisy waved a hand in front of his glazed over eyes and he blinked. Apparently he'd been asked a question.

"What?"

"Oydis wants to know about some kind of circlet thing."

"Oydis?" Loki took a moment to remember that was the name of the chief planner, but it appeared as if he was just asking her to clarify the question.

"I know we discussed it last time and you were adamant that she would not wear it, but I know things are hugely different this time. I was just wondering if you thought it would be a good idea for Maisy to wear something of Queen Frigga's during the wedding?"

Loki paused and glanced at Maisy. She smiled at him, looking a little hopeful.

"Have you asked Odin?"

"I have," Oydis nodded, "He was reluctant, but said she could wear - oh, where did I put it?" The woman rifled through the bags she always lugged around with her and pulled out a round wooden box. She popped it open and Loki smiled a little. His mother had not worn this piece of jewelry often, which was probably why Odin had allowed them to use it, but Loki could vividly recall her wearing it when he'd returned from the first battle he'd ever fought in.

He turned to look at Maisy and her mouth was hanging open as she took in the masterful craftsmanship. He doubted they had anything this lovely in all of the treasure troves of Midgard. She slowly reached out her hand and reverently touched the amber stone at the center.

"'Beautiful' isn't a good enough word for this," she said quietly and then turned to Loki, "There is no way I can wear this, obviously."

"I thought you said is was beautiful," the wedding planner replied glumly.

"It is! Oh my gosh, it is!" Maisy assured, "I've never seen anything like it ever! It's like Galadriel's crown from _Lord of the Rings_ , but a thousand times more intricate and amazing!"

"So why can't you wear it?"

"Because it's too wonderful! What if something happened to it while I was wearing it? What if I make it look tacky? What if I," she gasped and lowered her voice, " _Broke it?!_ "

"It's highly durable, I assure you."

"I can't," Maisy looked longingly at the circlet, but shook her head, "I can't risk anything happening to this piece of art on my watch."

"Too bad," Loki smirked and crossed his arms, "You're wearing it."

"What?"

"Really?" The wedding planner had probably been expecting him to agree with Maisy after how quickly he'd said no last time.

"What could happen to it in a few hours?" Loki reasoned, "Especially with someone who will be so careful with it?"

"Are you sure?" Maisy asked, "Not that I wouldn't love to wear it, but I know how much your mom meant to you. I don't want to-"

"Of course I'm sure. Otherwise it will just sit in the treasury forever. When Thor gets married to Jane or whoever, his bride will probably wear something my mother wore during ceremonies or formal occasions. This one doesn't mean much to the kingdom, but it would make me happy to see you wear it."

She squeezed his hand and smiled.

"Okay," she nodded at Oydis, "I'll wear it."

"Excellent!" Oydis exclaimed, clapping her hands, "Wonderful, wonderful! Oh! I like you so much better than the crazy girl!"

"Me too," Loki grinned and Maisy blushed.

"Thanks?"

"Now! That's enough chatting! We have so much more to do! Let's talk flowers!"

Loki, who had heard they discuss flowers for four hours the previous day, tuned them out and his eyes glazed over again.

 **A note from the author: Well, I didn't get it posted last night, but that just means I get to post two chapters today! Yay! I really like the next chapter and I will try to post it a few hours after this one (not minutes after because Fanfiction gets confused easily).**

 **Thanks for reading the continued fluff! I hope it is feeling you with warm fuzzy feelings.**

 **Thank you to my lovely, wonderful, amazing reviewers: Cheetah Lover, XinterestingX, ferbette (I don't really talk about the Avengers much more in this story, though they reappear** **in the sequel, but I'm sure they were understanding), xlokiswolfx (good luck with college and all of the fun and stress that comes with that! No worries, just glad you'll still be reading! :)), Ceres Friggadottir (sadly, I don't describe it in that much detail since it didn't fit into the flow of the story very well, but I will be posting a sketch I did of it on my Deviantart, even if I'm not a great artist), Ninja Squirrel (though it is not seen in the chapters of this story, Loki caused them to crumple up five more final designs and would have continued to cause problems had Linn not fetched Thor and he stood guard at the door and eventually knocked Loki over and set Mjolnir on him so he couldn't get in to peek at the designs), Kaikitty165, Lwolf (she'd probably make the whole thing green if she weren't into more traditional wedding dress looks ;)), and yellowroseofthenw (yes, a sequel! I probably won't post until a week or two after I post the last chapter of this one, but there will be a sequel!). As always, you guys are the best!**

 **Until later! :D**


	108. Chapter 108

Loki couldn't find Maisy anywhere, which, on top of being frustrating, was starting to worry him. It was one week until the wedding, so he could understand that she was busy, but he'd checked everywhere and there was no sign of her. He finally decided to ask Linn, provided he could find her, since she and Maisy were almost inseparable these days (this could be rather annoying in itself, as it made it difficult to get alone time with his wife).

Linn was cheerfully scrubbing clothes as she worked in the laundry room, just as Loki suspected she would be. He'd come in the disguise of Bjorn the guard since Madame Veru had kicked him out of the laundry room and he didn't need to stir up trouble today.

He approached the laundress, mentally noting that he really needed to hire her on as a lady's maid for Maisy so she could get out of this dreary, sudsy room.

"Bjorn!" Linn exclaimed upon seeing him. Before he could quietly correct her, she was flying out of her seat and into his arms. Loki was slightly surprised by this, but he was _really_ alarmed when she planted a quick kiss on his lips.

He spluttered and pulled back, his disguise hastily fizzling out as he did so. Linn's face paled and her hands flew to her mouth in shock. Loki sorted himself out and then stared at her with brows raised. The other laundresses all began to guffaw, which caused Madame Veru's door to swing open. Loki quickly put his illusion back in place and the women laughed even harder.

"What is going on?!" Veru demanded.

"Nothing Madame!" The laundresses all sang. The old woman shook her head at them and hobbled back into her room. The ladies all got back to scrubbing their clothing, but they kept shooting amused glances in Linn's direction. Loki gaped at his friend and found her to be blushing profusely.

"Whoops."

"Whoops indeed," he crossed his arms, "When did things between you and Bjorn change so much? Hmm?"

"Uh… I, uh, I don't know what you're talking about?"

"We'll discuss it later," Loki promised sternly, thinking he might also have to have a discussion with the guardsman, "Right now I need to find Maisy. Any idea where she is?"

"Yes! Yeah! Totally! Dat is somefing I can tell you!" Linn looked too relieved, "She's with your brother!"

"Oh really?" Loki furrowed his brow, "Interesting."

"I fink they said they'd go to the armory, uh, you'd better get going," she smiled falsely at him, "Fanks for stopping by, bye-bye now!"

"The armory, hmm? Isn't that where Bjorn works on Fridays?" Loki asked, "That's perfect, I can have a little talk with him while I'm there."

"Sweet Andromeda!" Linn swore, "Leave him alone!"

"For now," Loki turned to go, "But prepare yourself for a very long discussion once this wedding business is over."

He chuckled to himself as he walked away from the laundry room and toward the armory. He couldn't wait to share this bit of information with Maisy. She'd find it most amusing, he was sure.

In the armory he found a sight less funny. Thor was wielding Mjolnir, holding it above his head, poised to strike while Maisy's arm was tied down to an anvil. Not sure what in the nine realms was going on, Loki fired a blast of magic at his brother, knocking him backward and onto his rear. Maisy yelped in surprise and turned to look at Loki, who rushed to untie her and then push her behind him.

"Thor! What in Helheim are you doing?!" Daggers were already flitting into his hands and his arms were spread wide to keep as much of himself between Thor and Maisy as possible.

"Calm down!" Maisy called from behind him, "I asked him to do it!"

"Loki," Thor grunted, getting off the floor, "You always jump to conclusions."

"What am I supposed to think when my brother is about to hit my bound wife with one of the most deadly weapons in the realms?!" Loki seethed.

"He was trying to get these stupid bracelet things off," Maisy said, "The rope was just to keep me from flinching away."

"Truly, brother," Thor dusted himself off, "That's all that was going on."

"Oh," Loki slumped a little, heart still racing, "Apologies. But you must admit, it did not look harmless without context."

"That's true," Maisy laughed awkwardly.

"I suppose I could see this looking… worrisome," Thor admitted swinging Mjolnir lazily, "But it seemed a good idea at the time."

"It does," Loki agreed, "You ought to try it again to see if it will actually remove those blasted things."

"Okay," Maisy kneeled next to the anvil again, "If you don't mind, Thor?"

"Certainly not!" Thor moved so quickly that Maisy didn't have time to pull away. He hit her arm hard enough that the cuff on it split in half, but not so hard that he hurt her.

"Oh my gosh, yes! Thank you Thor!" Maisy grinned, chucking the broken cuff over her shoulder, "Do the other one!"

The older prince did so and Maisy cheered again, jumping up and offering him a hug. Loki smiled as well and she rushed over and gave him a kiss on the cheek, this reminded him of what had happened in the laundry room and he glanced over at Bjorn, who was standing stoically by the door. He'd bring it up when the boy wasn't around so he and Maisy could have a good laugh over it.

"So what brings you here?" Maisy asked.

"Lucky you, you'll be able to erase all physical traces of Muspelheim in one day!" Loki presented her with a small potion bottle and she gasped.

"Is this…?"

"Drink it and we'll find out if the three hours I spent cooperating with Melantha were worth it."

Maisy didn't hesitate to unscrew the lid and guzzle down the whole bottle. Thor watched with a confused smile and Loki grabbed a piece of her hair, watching it intently. In a few moments it seemed that the blackness was being leached out of it. The black disappeared and was quickly replaced with a reddish dark blonde color that must have been the hair color she'd been born with.

"Hey!" She exclaimed happily, "It worked! This is fantastic!"

"Did you doubt me for a second, my lady?" He asked.

"Course not!" She hugged him tightly and quickly.

"What a lovely color of hair you have, Maisy!" Thor noted.

"Thanks," she answered shortly and looked up at Loki, "Can you change it like we talked about for the wedding?"

"You spoke of so many different colors that you wanted to change it, Maisy," Loki pointed out, "I can't recall which one you said you wanted for the wedding."

"Eh, we'll sort it out later," she fluffed her hair excitedly, "I'm just glad it's not black anymore!"

"While I'd love to stand around and talk about your hair all day," Loki said, "I do believe we are meant to meet with Oydis in a few minutes, are we not?"

"Oh crap! I totally forgot!" She grabbed his hand and they rushed for the door, "Thanks again Thor! You're the best!"

"Any time!"

The couple began running through the gilded halls of the palace to get to their meeting.

"When we're done with Oydis I have a tale to tell you," Loki told Maisy as they started to leave the armory, "It involved Linn and Bjorn!"

The guardsman in question seemed to flinch and begin "patrolling" in the opposite direction.

"Oh really? Did they finally start dating?"

"How did you know?"

"Intuition."

Loki snorted at that and they continued to speed through the halls, just barely making it on time to their meeting of more boring wedding details.

When they were out of sight, Bjorn heaved a sigh of relief.

 **A note from the author: Because people are still surprised by this fact, though I have mentioned it a few times, I would like to** ** _formally_** **announce that there will be a sequel to this story. Originally, it was just going to be fluff and domestic bliss with Loki and Maisy, but, ahem, a villain has emerged while I've been writing it and with the villain an overarching plot has sprouted wings and is taking off. So, while it will be ridiculously fluffy, there will still be quite a bit of angst and drama. :) Hopefully, you will all stick around for that after this story is done.**

 **By my calculations Till Death Do You Part has four chapters left and an epilogue. After I post the epilogue, I will probably wait a week or two and then post the first chapter of the sequel. I think I'll post a quick bonus chapter here when I make the announcement for "book 2" so that way if you are following this story but not following me you can be aware of when the next one is up. I am excited to share it with you!**

 **And we can't have an author's note without a huge thank you to the reviewers: ferbette (seeing as we can't actually have Frigga in the story, I thought we at least had to have her have some sort of impact on her son's wedding), Cheetah Lover, 879 (I respectfully disagree, but obviously we all view things differently, so I'm sorry the shorter chapters are not to your liking. There were a few more detailed scenes that I had to toss because I just wasn't able to write them, my brain simply couldn't think of how to finish the scenes in a transitional manner, so perhaps there could have been more detail. And, of course, any loose ends will be tied up in the sequel. Thanks again for reviewing!), and Susan Drakian (woo! I'm so excited that you are excited! I had so much fun writing it! :D). Thank you for brightening my day!**

 **TTFN!**


	109. Chapter 109

Wedding rehearsals and rehearsal dinners were, apparently, not something Asgardians did. Odin had scoffed at the idea, saying it took all the romance out of it. Maisy had never taken him as someone who cared about romance, but she didn't argue. Instead, Jane and Thor hosted a dinner the night before the wedding ceremony for all of their closest friends to attend. They held it in the same dining hall she'd stabbed Drin in, but the blood had all been cleaned up long ago.

The Avengers were there, of course, much to Loki's chagrin. Maisy took a good fifteen minutes explaining everything to them and they were all much happier after she straightened things out. They still couldn't believe she wanted to stay married to Loki, especially now that she was free to leave whenever she wanted, but she convinced them that she would not be persuaded to call off the wedding and they began to enjoy themselves. Black Widow still had a sneaking glint in her eye, but Maisy would deal with that if and when the super spy tried a scheme.

The Warriors Three and Lady Sif all came, all of them thrilled. They were certain this meant Loki was on the road to rehabilitation, no matter how many times he threatened to slit their throats that evening. Volstagg even brought his kids to the party and all together they ate almost as much as their father. Fandral pretended to be dismayed that Maisy had chosen someone other than him and the act was funny for a while, but he kept going until Hogun elbowed him roughly in the ribs. Sif was all smiles as she congratulated them, but once she'd had a bit too much to drink they had to calm her down because she'd begun clumsily threatening Loki with her sword, declaring that if he harmed Maisy she'd kill him. Apparently this sort of threat was fairly common because many of the guests promised to kill Loki if he did something they disliked. He took it all calmly and with a sarcastic grin.

Linn and her friends, Ola and Bjorn, also came and they couldn't stop marvelling at everything, including the guests. There were times when they'd just stare at the Avengers without saying anything and the Avengers had to smile awkwardly back.

A few of Maisy's earth friends had been allowed to come and they were cautiously having a good time, wary of everything new. They'd been very close with the bride back on earth when they'd gone to undergrad together, but it seemed nearly five months apart had caused them to drift closer together, but further away from Maisy. She didn't mind, she was just glad that they'd come.

Melantha and two Dark Elf guards came, making everyone severely uncomfortable until the two guards jammed out on the dance floor and made everyone miraculously less wary of them. Melantha came up to Maisy and inspected her, just "double checking". The queen had been rather annoyed that she hadn't been able to see through Blaze's disguise.

Thor had invited Maisy's family, but the only one who'd come was Bret. Oddly, he and Melantha spent a great deal of time speaking to one another. Maisy wasn't that surprised, since Bret was a political science major and he was probably interested in how she ran Svartalfheim, but it was shocking when he actually made the queen laugh and smile. Linn saw this as well and got a crafty look in her eye. Maisy had to keep her friend away from her brother and Melantha before she could try to set them up.

The party was going well and everyone was having fun chatting, dancing, and snacking on the hors d'oeuvres. Maisy made sure Loki danced with her at least once and that he socialized just a little bit. Even with all of his brother's friends there he seemed to be having a good time. At one point he even had a small audience as he recounted his knowledge on old Norse and Asgardian wedding traditions

"I remember going to weddings as a boy when the ceremony could not even start until the father of the bride had presented the groom with a goat, a boar, and a sow. The viking humans did the same, and for some reason they always sacrificed them to Thor and my mother. Honestly, what a waste of good animals."

"Well, Josh doesn't even own any goats," Bret commented laughingly. He and Melantha had come to listen to Loki and both were smiling. An odd look for the Dark Elf queen.

"No goats!" Loki gasped, "Ah, well then Maisy, I suppose the wedding is off!"

"Aw man!" Maisy laughed, "Everyone go home!"

"You know what, we can still be wed as long as you give me your family's ancestral sword," Loki said solemnly.

"Wouldn't you know, the Sichore family doesn't have one!"

"No ancestral sword?" Loki shook his head, "It's a good thing you're so pretty or I wouldn't even consider marrying you!"

"Well, at least I know you aren't marrying me for the dowry," Maisy snickered.

She hadn't felt this happy in a long time. She had no worries on her mind and no life changing problems to deal with. She was just enjoying a party with her friends and the guy she loved. Laughing and joking with everyone had even taken her mind off the fact that she was official going to become a freaking princess the next day.

"It's time for the feast, everyone!" Thor called and the guests all began making their way to the tables. Maisy and Loki lagged behind a little and she reached up to give him a kiss on the cheek, but he turned his head at the last moment and their lips met. The few people who saw cheered.

"Who needs goats and a sword," Loki whispered to her, "When I have you?"

"Wow," she grinned, "You're so romantic, picking me over goats."

"To be fair, they are a highly valued animal."

"Oh, okay then, I'm flattered."

They both laughed and made their way to the seats of honor at the head table. Then the feasting began and Maisy was fairly certain she couldn't get any happier. That was until Linn declared, toward the end of the meal, that she had a speech prepared.

"Attention everybody! Attention!" The maid-of-honor shouted and then hit her wine glass with a spoon, breaking it, but getting everyone to look at her and the puddle of wine pooling on the table, "Whoopsies. Uh, anyway, I have a speech for the happy couple so listen up."

Everyone fell silent and smiled at the girl.

"So, I'm pretty much Maisy's best friend in all the realms and planets and worlds and everywhere," Linn said, "I fink the only person who prolly loves Maisy more than I do is Loki, which makes sense, since I'm _his_ best friend in all the realms and planets and worlds and everywhere too."

Maisy and Loki laughed and everyone else joined in.

"Anyway, I've always fought dat they should be together forever and I am beyond happy that they will be now," Linn beamed at her friends, "Even if they have already been married for a while, I'm glad they'd doing this… so I can be part of making them the happiest couple in the realms and planets and worlds and everywhere."

She grinned one last time and then sat down cheerfully. The assembled friends clapped and Maisy found herself sniffling a little. Then Thor jumped up and threw his wine glass on the ground, startling everyone except the Asgardians.

"I have something to say as well!"

"Well then say it Thor, Norns sakes," Loki grumbled.

"Loki, shut up, I'm trying to tell them how much I treasure you as a brother," Thor grumbled out of the side of his mouth, "Even if we aren't brothers by blood, I will always think of us as the two little boys who wanted to do great things together. Even if you've done horrible, and I do mean _horrible_ things, and stabbed me countless times, I'll always see us as a team. Even if you poison me tonight and take over Asgard, I will die knowing that I have the best brother a man could ask for. And I could not be more proud that I am gaining a sister-in-law as well as having my brother back."

There were several "aws" and "how sweets" going through the crowd until Loki had to open his mouth.

"About the poison thing… we might need to call a healer."

The adoring sounds turned to gasps of horror and Maisy elbowed Loki with such force that he actually winced before laughing and putting his hands up in surrender.

"Joking, joking!" He smiled wickedly, "It was only in the wine that Thor just threw on the ground, so he'll be fine!"

Everyone laughed nervously, not sure if he was kidding or not. Loki didn't let on and even Maisy couldn't be sure if the wine Thor had dropped was deadly or not. She decided to pretend that it wasn't.

"Oh!" Thor raised his hand and his hammer flew into it, "I almost forgot!"

"What now?"

"You were the one talking about old viking traditions, you ought to know," Thor has such a mischievous look on his face that anyone would have believed he and Loki _were_ related biologically. He strode over to Maisy and dropped Mjolnir in her lap.

"Oof!"

She tried to pick up or push off the hammer, but it wouldn't move. That settled the question she'd always had about whether or not she was worthy. A question she was pretty sure everyone had once they found out how the hammer worked.

"What's this for?" She asked.

"An old viking tradition on Midgard," Thor laughed, "You see, they would place a small charm in the shape of Mjolnir in the lap of the bride during her wedding feast."

"Okay," Maisy glanced at Loki and he'd buried his face in his hands, "Uh, why?"

"I was hoping you'd ask! You see, I am mostly known to the Midgardians as the god of thunder and lightning, but the norsemen also thought of me as the god of something else…" he waggled his eyebrows and Maisy suddenly felt that she didn't want to know, "The god of fertility!"

"Oh my Norns, Thor," Loki groaned, "Shut up and sit down!"

Maisy was sure that she was bright red as she could feel the heat all across her face. She didn't trust herself to say anything until Thor chuckled and summoned Mjolnir back to him, doing as his brother asked.

"Um, thanks?" She said.

"Be sure to name one of my nieces or nephews after me!"

"Ha."

"Now that Thor has made an oaf of himself," Loki spoke up, "Who is ready for desert?"

Maisy nodded enthusiastically, ready to be done with this conversation. She was just glad her father hadn't made it to the party. He probably would have gone nuts, burned the place to the ground and carried her out the window. She was so embarrassed that she was briefly tempted to do the same. But then they servers brought out trays laden with mountains of chocolate chip cookies and she was content to stay put.

"Sorry about him," Loki whispered to her, "He's drunk."

"Let's forget about it and eat cookies," Maisy whispered back.

They did so and when the deserts were cleared away and the party was officially over, because everyone was so stuffed that they could only think of rolling themselves to bed, Maisy and Loki stood and prepared to leave. However, before they could get far, Linn, Jane, Sif, Natasha, and Maisy's earth friends approached and forcibly pulled Maisy away from Loki. The couple gave each other alarmed glances for a moment and then Thor, Volstagg, Hogun, and Fandral, and all of the other Avengers approached Loki and started to pull him off as well.

"What's going on?!"

"You didn't fink we'd let you two share a room _tonight_ , did you?" Linn grinned.

"It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride on the day of the wedding before the wedding!" Tony declared.

"I'd never realized Midgardians were so superstitious," Loki rolled his eyes, "It's fine. I'm tired. Maisy is tired. Just let us go to bed."

"Yeah, but that will be separate beds in separate rooms," the billionaire was giddy about keeping them apart.

"Oh brother, I mean we're technically already married guys," Maisy shook her head, but she was smiling.

"Yeah, but you've still been sleeping on the floor," Linn pointed out, "We just gotta make sure you go one more night wifout getting up to… romantic stuffs. And, Mr. Stark is right. Loki can't see you till the wedding!"

"Fine, fine," Maisy put her hands up, too tired to argue, "I'll see you tomorrow, Loki."

"Until then, my lady," Loki called back as he was dragged away. He looked vastly uncomfortable and Maisy hoped they didn't upset him too much. And also that they wouldn't just drag him down to the dungeon and leave him there.

Ah, the problems of being a mass murderer's wife.

 **A note from the author: I apologize for the lie I told at the end of the last chapter. There is, in fact, only one chapter and the epilogue after this chapter. Insane, I know. It was originally going to be three** **separate** **chapters, but I don't know why I have that written in my notes because that doesn't make any sort of sense and doesn't do anything but draw the story out. So one more chapter and then the epilogue, a one shot, and story two! Which I will tell you the title of at the end of the epilogue. :)**

 **One thing I want to address is all of the wonderful ideas and suggestions I get for the plot and scenes of this story. I LOVE getting suggestions and you guys all have such good ideas and I love them all. I also love it when you get excited for scenes that I've hinted at or scenes that could possibly occur. Please don't stop being excited or making suggestions for the story, but I just wanted to briefly tell you guys something. I, sadly, cannot include every suggestion or possible scene or even all the scenes that I hinted at happening. A lot of times I will leave prompts for other scenes throughout the story in case I need something to write about later when I might have writer's block, but a lot of times I never actually getting around to writing those scenes unfortunately. And while your suggestions are always brilliant and a ton of fun, I finished writing this story quite a long time ago and can't always fit in your wonderful suggestions. I greatly appreciate them, but if I want to keep the story on track I can't always include them. But thank you so much for making them! Okay, I'm rambling.**

 **THANK YOU TO MY REVIEWERS (btw, we are at 402 reviews, which is absolutely bonkers and I love you all): CheetahLover, ferbette, Ninja Squirrel (of course you are going to the wedding! You and all of the other reviewers, followers, and favoriters are all going to be sitting in the audience passing a box of tissues around. It's officially "cannon", you'll all be there.), xlokiswolfx (I mean, he's spent one hundred and eight chapters trying to hang onto the bride, he would hate to lose her now!), Carpe Diem Vampire (I'm so glad you liked the laundry scene because I had a ridiculous amount of fun writing it XD), and Susan Drakian (unfortunately, the "Talk" doesn't happen till the sequel, but Bjorn and Loki have words with one another about Linn). YOU ARE ALL AMAZING WONDERFUL PEOPLE, DON'T FIGHT ME ON THIS BECAUSE IT'S TRUE.**

 **Until the wedding my friends... ;)**


	110. Chapter 110

Linn adjusted Maisy's skirt, even though there wasn't much of a train. Maisy was glad to have it straightened out. It hid the one awkward seam they'd made when rushing to finish the dress. The rest of the dress was perfectly perfect without a wrinkle, crinkle, or crease. Hair and makeup had been done. The amazing circlet was resting comfortably and safely on her forehead and her bouquet of blue and gold roses was in her hand. Everything was ready to go.

But Maisy still felt like she might pass out.

The whole week leading up to this moment - the moment where she stood in the little curtained off area before the entrance to the Great Hall waiting to walk down the aisle - she'd been convinced that she wouldn't get wedding jitters. After all, she was already married. She'd already agreed to stay. She was committed already and it wasn't like this was adding any new terms or conditions.

It wasn't the actual marriage part that was freaking her out. Well, if she was honest with herself she was a little bit frightened by that part. But also, now everyone in Asgard and on a few other planets and realms would know that she and Loki were married. And she still wasn't really sure that it was a great idea to stay with the guy who'd attacked New York with an alien army. But… standing in the room with Linn and her father, she closed her eyes and pictured Loki's face. And she knew that she was going through with it.

The main reason that her face was bright red and her breath was coming in short bursts was that the Great Hall was so crowded with people who would all be staring at her. People from across the galaxy had come to spectate - not just any people either. High ranking officials, kings, queens, emperors, captains, commanders, tribe leaders, presidents, world leaders. Heck, the Queen of England had sent a representative from her family! And they were all going to have their eyes focused on her.

"Drink dis," Linn handed Maisy a goblet of wine, "It'll calm you down."

Maisy took the tiniest sip, fully aware that Asgardian beverages were too strong for her. Then she handed the goblet back, being careful not to slosh any on her dress. The wine did calm her a little bit and she managed to take some deep breaths.

"You look so beautiful," Mr. Sichore had tears in his eyes and Maisy hoped they were of joy and not sadness that she was married to someone he hated.

"Thanks Dad," she replied, taking his hand and squeezing it to ground herself.

"Listen," he said, "I might not like him, but I know you do."

"I do, really, I do."

"So I'm going to try to as well," Mr. Sichore promised, "It won't be easy, but I'm going to try, okay?"

"Thank you," she gave him a kiss on the cheek. Trumpets blared and she jumped.

"That's our cue!" Linn exclaimed, heading out the door first as she'd been told to.

"Last chance to dump him."

"Dad!"

"Kidding!"

They took their first steps out into the Great Hall and when Maisy squinted she could make out Loki standing at the very end of the aisle. She grinned.

* * *

"Are you holding your breath?" Thor whispered laughingly.

"No," Loki replied, releasing the breath he'd been holding, "Are they coming?"

He'd been told by Linn that he wasn't allowed to see Maisy until she was close enough for him to admire every detail of the dress they'd worked so hard on. This rule was beyond annoying to him, but he followed it because he knew Maisy would want him to. Even if he didn't much care about the dress or the spell that she'd gotten Fandral to do to her hair (apparently the warrior was getting very good at magically coloring hair so Maisy had asked him to do it in order for it to be a surprise). Loki didn't care if she wore an Iron Man suit down the aisle, he just wanted to see her and hold her hand.

"Linn has just started coming down the aisle but no sign of Maisy - oh!"

Since Loki couldn't turn around and look, he looked at his brother's face instead. Thor was grinning and his eyes lit up. He turned his smile on Loki and wiggled his eyebrows.

"What?"

"You are a lucky groom, brother! She's beautiful."

"That I already knew," Loki commented.

"Aw, she's smiling!" Thor cooed, trying his best to tempt Loki to turn around, "And her horrid father even looks happy!"

"That doesn't bode well."

"It's fine," Thor assured, still smiling, "You must be so annoyed with how long the aisle is right now! It's going to take her forever to get her and, Norns, she is lovely, brother!"

Loki clenched his jaw and was more determined than ever not to turn around.

"Wow she's just glowing, really," Thor continued.

"Just shut up and listen to the music, Thor."

"I'm just saying she looks magnificent!"

"Shush," Odin said sternly and both of his sons fell quiet waiting for the bride to arrive.

* * *

The king of Asgard had presided over many weddings in his many, many years. It was one duty that always brought him joy and made him think of his own wedding day. It had been an arranged marriage and he hardly knew Frigga when he'd married her, but he still thought of it as one of the best days he'd ever experienced.

There was no feeling like knowing that the person who you exchanged rings with was pledging to be by your side, to help you be the best version of yourself, to worry over you when you left, to hug you when you came home, and to stand with you no matter what you came up against. And all they asked in return was that you did the same. Forever supporting one another for the rest of your lives.

This was the first wedding he was part of since Frigga's death. It seemed like a cruel twist of fate that the nuptials in question were for the boy who was so much like her, the boy who she'd cherished.

Odin's one eyed gaze softened when he watched Thor teasing Loki about the bride walking down the aisle and Loki lovingly refraining from stabbing Thor. It reminded the old man too much of when they'd been children.

He had to sternly remind himself that they were not the giggling youths they used to be. They were both full grow warriors, who'd both done a warrior's deeds many times over. Though they were smiling together now, it would not be long before their paths diverged once more and they would be fighting. Never able to accept defeat at the hands of the other, both pretending they didn't care what happened to their brother. The wounds they'd given each other as children could not compare to the way they fought now.

For a bitter moment Odin had the thought that it was Loki's fault that things could never be as they had been. They could never be the family they once were because of the horrible deeds he'd committed. But as the Midgardian woman got closer and closer and Loki's face became more and more anxious, the old king remembered that it was _he_ who brought the boy up the way he had. And, for that day at least, he decided to let everything go and just enjoy the wedding of his son.

When Maisy Sichore finally reached the platform and her nuisance of a father let go of her hand, she climbed the few steps and took Loki's hand in hers. He finally turned to look at her and Odin couldn't help a smile when he saw an expression of unbridled joy on the younger man's face. There were no tricks in that grin. Nothing but awe, happiness, and perhaps just the slightest amount of uncertainty. Every bride and groom Odin had ever seen wore the same expression.

"Told you she looked amazing," Thor whispered and Maisy laughed and Loki would have surely rolled his eyes had they not been so focused on his bride.

"People and friends of Asgard," Odin boomed and a cheer went up, "It is my honor to welcome you to a ceremony that will unite not only our realm with Midgard, but also two individuals who care a great deal for one another."

He looked at the couple and nodded, still smiling.

"Take it from someone who was married for nearly two thousand years," he said and saw Loki's own smile dim just a little at the thought of his mother, "Marriage is not something to be taken lightly."

Odin said quite a few more things that all walked the line between gushy and meaningful. He was rather pleased with how wonderful everything he said sounded. Every line quotable and memorable. Some of his best stuff. He'd have to come up with something even more wonderful when Thor's turn came around. But in the meantime he solemnly and dramatically delivered every thoughtful message about marriage and unity that he could think of. The people were eating it up and he was fairly certain there were no dry eyes in the audience by the time he got to the vows.

"The rings," he requested and Thor and the Krylorian laundry girl both handed over the bands that the couple had removed before the wedding, "Maisy Sloane Sichore - presuming it is truly you this time…"

"Don't worry, I'm ninety percent sure this wedding won't end with me being stabbed," the girl beamed at him and he cleared his throat.

"Champion of Midgard, Victor of Taka af Brúðr, Maisy Sloane Sichore," Odin addressed her and she blushed a bright pink, "Do you swear your loyalty, life, and love not only to this man, but also to Asgard?"

Her eyes widened a bit and he wondered if she'd forgotten that she was marrying into the royal family. But it did not take long for her to recover, nodding her head.

"I swear."

"Prince of Asgard, God of Mischief, Loki Bartholomew Odinson," he looked at his second son and wished again that Frigga was there, "Do you swear your loyalty, life, and love to this woman and to Asgard?"

"I swear," Loki replied, a glint in his eye that could only mean mischief. Odin just hoped the tricks would not take place until after the celebratory feast.

Looking at the couple Odin felt a sudden twinge of guilt, which was not a common feeling for him. He could only think that if he'd let the girl die from her lindworm wounds when Thor brought her to him then this day would not have come. Furthermore, he felt guilty for holding Maisy's life over her even after he saw her and Loki being to fall for one another. The wound of his widower status was still to fresh for Odin to want _anyone_ to have to go through losing their other half. Even his arrogant and rebellious son.

"Then it is my pleasure to pronounce you man and wife until death do you part."

The old king was shocked to find himself clapping excitedly along with everyone else when Loki wrapped his hands around Maisy's waist and drew her to him and when Maisy put her arms around his neck and stood on her toes to meet him in their kiss. Though, the king did not think his excitement was anywhere near that of the Krylorian laundress, who was now running around with her arms above her head shouting "best day ever". Odin could only chuckle at that.

 **A note from the author: *throws arms wide and then takes a dramatic bow***

 **We have reached the end of our story, dear friends. Although, not really because there is still the epilogue and the chapter I like to call the "epilogue's epilogue", which I shall post right before I post the sequel. So, no worries, there are plenty more adventures for Loki and Maisy to go on! And Linn, obviously because they would be lost without their trusty laundress.**

 **Hopefully, I will see you in the epilogue and the epilogue's epilogue, but if I don't, thanks so much for reading this far! You are truly amazing for sticking with me for 110 chapters. You are a** **splendid person.**

 **And, as always, a huge, massive, enormous, gigantic, big thank you to my pals the reviewers: CheetahLover (the wolves were definitely at the wedding, Odin thought it was undignified, but Idunn shut him up and she sat with the wolves and snuck them slices of her magic apples wrapped in bacon), ferbette (let's just say Thor very much wants nieces and nephews to spoil and teach how to fight and give hugs to), Carpe Diem Vampire (when I found out about the hammer tradition I just had to include it so I'm glad you liked it!), yellowroseofthenw (we shall see...), and Ninja Squirrel (not sure if Melantha and Bret will go anywhere, but I just threw it in there because I thought it would be funny. Hope you enjoyed the wedding!). You have all been so wonderful throughout this whole story and I'm so thankful for everyone who has reviewed. Thank you.**

 **Until the epilogue!**


	111. Chapter 111 - Epilogue

EPILOGUE

Asgardians never partied in small proportions. There might not have been an official wedding reception, but there was an enormous feast after the wedding that included not only the best Asgardian food Maisy had ever tasted, but also a wide variety of Midgardian food that Tony Stark had brought as a wedding gift. No one had any idea how he'd managed to get it there, but Maisy was certainly glad he had.

The food was amazing, but the "newlyweds" barely had a chance to eat any of it because almost every guest wanted to approach them at their table and wish them well. Maisy spoke to more alien species than she could have ever guessed existed and she loved every minute of it. Even when a particularly tentacly one gave her and Loki a hug.

At the end of the feast Maisy expected the events for the day to pretty much be over, but Asgard hadn't finished celebrating. Thor lead everyone through the halls of the palace and out onto the streets of the city, where even more partying was going on. There was some sort of street fair happening and people were dancing in the middle of it all.

"Care to dance, my lady?" Loki asked, offering a hand.

"Are you kidding me?" Maisy grabbed his hand, hiked up her skirt, and rushed out to where everyone was already swinging around to the upbeat and medieval sounding music. Everyone paused when they stepped out and joined in, but when Loki nodded at the musicians they got right back into the rhythm of it.

"I know this whole wedding was just more rigamarole to clear things up for the public," Maisy said as they twirled around the square, "But I have to admit that I am having the time of my life."

"Rigamarole, hmm?" Loki replied close to her ear, "Does that mean you don't want things to change between us?"

"Well, given that I've kissed you about a bajillion times and we both already said that we love each other I think it's too late for things not to have changed," Maisy said, "And I like it, but are we, you know, for real married now?"

"We have been for the past five months."

"You know what I mean," Maisy huffed, "Like, are we a _traditional_ married couple now, or are we, like, dating and if we end up falling out we get Thor to divorce us, or like, if we fall out we just decide to be friends but stay married or… what?"

"Personally," Loki smirked, "I'm rather fond of the first of those three options, but perhaps we will find out what exactly we are as we go along, hmm? After all, we have a few thousand years to decide."

"I don't think I'm ever going to get used to that," Maisy laughed, "I was nearly killed, I got married, nearly got killed a few more times, became a princess, and became an immortal-ish being all in less than a year!"

"You _have_ been busy," Loki laughed, "Don't worry, it will sink in eventually. In the meantime, let's enjoy the rest of our wedding day, hmm?"

"Absolutely," she grinned at him and they danced for another hour. And when the dancing ended they were herded on to more partying, food, exclamations of joy, and congratulations. Maisy was even asked to kiss a baby.

People waved little flags with Loki's symbol painted on, which made him rather smug. He took it all in with a royal smile and royal grace. Maisy took it all in with nervous laughter. By the time it was getting dark, however, she was beginning to get into it.

"If I'd known that people would love me more than Thor just for getting married, I would have found a bride a long time ago," Loki commented jokingly.

"Yeah, and it probably would have been Tzefira," Maisy teased.

"On second thought, the wait for the _perfect_ woman was definitely worth it."

The party went late into the night and people had beautiful lanterns to light up the streets. There were fireworks and more food and more dancing. However, at midnight the people started acting differently, almost as if they knew something the couple didn't.

"Ah, you two best get back to the palace soon, eh?" An old woman winked at them.

"Um, I guess?" Maisy said, glancing at Loki, he seemed as clueless as she was.

"Skuld be on your side and bless you," the old woman grinned, taking Maisy's hand and tucking something small and metal into it. Before she had a chance to take a look at it many more people approached, said the same cryptic thing, and handed Maisy more items of about the same size. When she looked at her full hands she was even more confused.

Everyone had given her the same thing. A necklace made of either a leather cord or a metal chain, depending on the quality, with an upside down "T" pendant. All of the Ts were designed beautifully with norse looking runes.

"What are these?" Maisy turned to Loki, who had been chatting hostilely with Tony Stark, "And who is Skuld and why do I want his or her blessing?"

"Thor!" Loki snapped at his brother, who was a ways away, participating in a drinking competition. He didn't hear Loki.

"What does he have to do with these?" Maisy asked, struggling to hold all of the necklaces.

"He must have spread word around of that stupid old Midgardian tradition," Loki grumbled, taking some of them from her hands.

"What tradition?"

"The hammer one," Loki sighed, "These are all in the shape of Thor's symbol, which is Mjolnir."

"Oh my gosh," Maisy groaned, rolling her eyes, "Maybe my dad was right! Everyone here is so obsessed with having babies! Who or what is Skuld? Is that another baby thing?"

"Skuld is the youngest Norn. She controls the future. Having her blessing is essentially having good luck," Loki explained, "So I suppose it could be viewed as a 'baby thing'."

"Shouldn't you two be getting back to the palace?" Sif approached them with a smile and then spotted the Mjolnir charms, "Oh my."

"Hey, you need any Thor merch?" Maisy offered a necklace to her friend.

"No, thank you..."

"Yeah, me neither," Maisy glumly lowered the proffered token,"By the way, why does everyone keep telling us that we should be getting back to the palace? Kind of rude to kick us out of the party, isn't it? Even if we are exhausted."

Sif actually blushed. The fiercest, most amazing, coolest warrior in all of Asgard _blushed_. She rubbed her arm and smiled awkwardly.

"I, uh, think they aren't so inclined to get you back to the _palace_ per se," she blushed a darker shade, but Maisy and Loki only looked at her curiously, not catching on, "I think they are more trying to urge you to, um, get back to your, uh, room. Your bedroom."

"Oh," Maisy furrowed her brow a second and then her eyes widened and she and Loki looked at each other, "Oh!"

"Oh indeed," his eyes were as wide as hers.

Eventually they couldn't ignore everyone pushing them in the direction of the palace and they made their way home, both silent the whole way. They glanced at each other and hastily looked away a few times.

When they finally got back to their room, they wearily trudged through the door, both with eyes half closed and yawns coming quickly. Hours upon hours of dancing tended to have a tiring effect on even the most fit of warriors.

They both stared at the bed for a moment and then looked at each other slyly, smirks firmly in place. Maisy's fingers danced up his arm as she leaned in closer to him. After a moment she stood on tiptoe to whisper in his ear.

"So, uh, you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I certainly hope so," he purred in response.

They nodded at each other knowingly and approached the bed, pushed close against one another. Then, with a huge yawn each, they fell onto the mattress, Loki snapping his fingers and changing their wedding clothes into sleepwear as they fell. Upon hitting the mattress they snuggled in close to one another and were both snoring within moments. Pleasant dreams of each other filled their heads.

THE END

 **A note from the author: Ahem, well... I'm not exactly good at writing romantic scenes. Things get a tad more steamy in the one shot I'm posting as the sequel announcement, but we mustn't stray from the T rating so it's not a lot. Right.**

 **Well, that's the end of this story my dear friends! As I've said, I will try to post the first chapter of the sequel next week sometime so be on the look out for "To Have and To Hold" (I thought that was a fun title because it's sticking with the wedding vows theme, but maybe it's a little cheesy, but whatever it's my story I'll call it what I want). As soon as I post the first chapter I'm going to post a little "one shot" thing here that comes between the stories. That way if you don't follow me but you follow this story you can still be alerted. It'll be great.**

 **I could say a whole bunch of mushy nostalgic stuff here thanking you all for your continued support, but I've been doing that for a while so I'll just give one big THANK YOU and leave it at that. I hope you know I appreciate you. :)**

 **I obviously can't close off this story without one more giant hurrah to my faithful reviewers who are like burning balls of sunshine and wonderfulness. You guys rock. Thank you so much to: Phoenix86710 (I mention this in the sequel a bit, but her hair ended up being platinum blonde with green tips! I posted a picture of my design for her wedding dress on my Deviant Art account, which is under the same username. Feel free to check it out!), nina del carmen (aw thanks so much!), CheetahLover (oh my gosh, I'm blushing. You are so sweet! Thank you! I'm so glad to have brought you some enjoyment!), sweetreader (hope you liked the epilogue), Ninja Squirrel (*offers you another box of Kleenex*), ferbette (has Ragnarok come? ferbette saying Odin did good? Oh my stars! ;)), Susan Drakian (yeah... it was just a bit of a slow burn lol), and Carpe Diem Vampire (I had so much fun writing the banter between Thor and Loki so I'm glad you enjoyed it!). As I've said before, you guys are awesome.**

 **See you in the sequel! :D (And, uh, the next chapter-one-shot-thing.)**


	112. Chapter 112 Honeymoon

"This place is so cool!" Maisy gasped as she stepped into the hallway of the dusty old castle in the mountains. Sunlight filtered in through high windows and highlighted floating, twirling dust particles and the occasional cobweb.

"No one has cleaned this place in years," Loki commented darkly, "You would have thought they would have at least dusted in preparation for us."

"It's fine," Maisy said, "It makes it more mysterious. Like a haunted house."

"A haunted house? Is that something you have a lot of on Midgard?"

"Yes, all the time at Halloween. My dad took me to one once and I about peed my pants I was so scared. It was great! Too bad the admission fee was so high, it would have been fun to go again."

"You _paid_ to go into a home filled with spirits and you enjoyed being scared by them?"

"It's not haunted for real, Loki," Maisy laughed, linking her arm with his and admiring the gilded pillars around the large entry way, "They just fill it with fake scary things for fun. I'll show you when we visit earth sometime. You'll love it."

"I have my doubts," Loki lead her to a grand door and pulled it open, admitting them into a long hallway. The architecture was like a more subdued version of that of the palace and Maisy really felt like a real princess walking through the area with her skirt swishing around her ankles.

"Oh wow look at that!" Maisy dropped her arm from his and went to look at a grand painting on the wall. There were several panels on the walls and each panel held a mural of Asgard and Asgardians - as well as a few monsters. On one of them there was a woman with long golden hair, a kind smile on her face, and shimmering yellow magic flowing from her hand to a young couple and forming a heart over their heads.

"She's beautiful," Maisy commented, sliding her backpack off and fishing around for her sketchbook and a pencil, "And her dress, ugh, it's incredible."

"Do you have any idea who this is?" Loki asked, coming up behind her and putting a hand on her shoulder.

"No," Maisy glanced at him and then went back to making a rough sketch of the woman and her clothing, "Who is she?"

"My mother."

Maisy's pencil stopped on her page and she took a closer look at the painting before turning to look at Loki. He had a sad expression on his face, but there was something proud there as well, and, perhaps, something like regret. Maisy set down her sketchbook on the stone floor and took Loki's hands instead.

"You know," she said, throwing another look at the painting, "You look like her."

"Maisy, she's not my real-"

"No, I know! But look at that," Maisy pulled him closer to the wall and gestured to the queen's face, "Look at that expression! You make that same expression all the time. It's how I know you're about to do something sneaky."

"Well, Frigga is probably 'helping' the romance along in this picture, which I suppose could be 'sneaky'," Loki's mouth twitched, "But really, she doesn't look anything like-"

"And look at that!" Maisy pointed at Frigga's hands, "I don't know much about casting spells, but from the people I've seen do it, only you have moved your hands like that. Egil didn't do that little flicky thing. Melantha didn't either. That's a you thing - or, I guess, a Frigga thing that you picked up."

"She taught me magic. It's not that peculiar that I would have picked up her style."

"I'm just saying," Maisy shrugged, "You look like her. Even if it's not DNA."

Loki was quiet a moment. He reached over and brushed his fingertips across the painted ones of his mother and sighed. When he pulled his hand back, he linked his arm with Maisy's again and they started walking deeper into the castle after she collected her sketchbook again.

"Do you think she would have liked me?" Maisy asked as they passed another painting, this one with Frigga and a much younger, two-eyed Odin.

"Not at first," Loki replied, his voice quiet, "She would have been suspicious of you at first. She might have put you to some sort of test. Made sure you were worthy of being in the royal family. And you would pass, easily, I'm sure. Then she'd love you."

"You really think so? You aren't just telling me that because _you_ love me?"

"Oh no, after you met her standards she'd be just like Thor and Linn, always pushing us together," Loki smirked, "If she'd been around when you were kidnapped she would have convinced Odin to send in all the warriors in the realm and she would have headed them to go scold Surtur. You'd have been free within moments of being captured."

"Your mom sounds badass."

"She was."

They continued to explore the castle, Loki muttering bitterly once in a while about how there would have already been a full staff there had it been Thor's honeymoon. However, he also assured Maisy that a few servants would be there the next day at least. She didn't mind their tardiness. She was having a grand time looking around the old castle with just him for company.

Eventually they found their way to a bedroom, which Loki declared was their suite. When they opened the door it wasn't quite as dusty as the rest of the palace, but perhaps it was just that the grime was hidden better.

"Now that we've had a look around," Loki grinned, taking his coat off and draping it over a chair, "What would you say to a bit of _alone time_ before we see about wandering into the village for dinner?"

"Ooh, alone time you say?" Maisy dropped her backpack and smiled back at him, pushing some hair behind her ear coyly, "I like the sound of that a lot."

"Good."

He took two long strides in her direction and swept her up into his arms bridal style before she had time to think. She giggled excitedly, but her laughter was quickly cut off when her mouth became otherwise occupied.

Their lips pushed and pulled at each other and their hands roamed in a manner that would have had any observer blushing profusely. They both moaned happily and finally, he carried her over to the bed and set her down with one more kiss that promised he'd join her in seconds.

However, as Maisy landed on the mattress a massive cloud of dust erupted from the old furniture and swallowed her, completely hiding her from Loki, who was still standing. He burst out laughing as the dust began to clear and Maisy was sneezing and coughing.

"Gah!" Maisy gagged when she was visible again. Her dark dress looked grey now, as did her hair, face, and skin, "Pfft bleh, guh!"

"Those were not the sounds I was hoping you'd make tonight," Loki could not stop laughing as he helped her off the bed and wiped away some of the grime from her face as she shook out her skirt, "How do you feel about the missing cleaning staff now?"

"I'm starting to see why you're mad at them," she coughed and sneezed once more, "Blurgh, I'm a mess!"

"I suppose alone time will have to wait until tomorrow," he smirked, "Although, perhaps we could spend tonight at the inn down in the village after a warm dinner."

"As long as I can have a bath first and we don't have to sleep in that bed I am all for it."

* * *

Maisy yawned, feeling quite cozy in the bed at the inn. The room was a tad chilly from the mountain air, but the fluffy, soft blanket covering them kept in all of the body heat. She stretched a little and her hand hit Loki's face, startling both of them. Maisy froze and it took her a moment to realize that she was sharing a bed. And that her bedmate was _not_ her deranged ex.

Once her mind processed that she smiled and turned around to face Loki. He was rubbing his nose where she'd hit him, but when he saw her face he smiled back. His arms slithered around her waist and drew her closer to him until their lips met once more.

"Morning," she grinned.

"Good morning, my lady."

"What time do you suppose it is?"

"Does it matter?"

"No," she snuggled in closer, "Right now, nothing but you matters much to me."

"You are quite the charmer in the morning," he kissed her forehead.

"And your voice is all sleepy and cute," she laughed.

"It's sleepy because," he loosed an enormous yawn, "I generally hate mornings."

"But you're always up before I am!"

"Part of my blasted probation. Odin knows I hate any time before noon and he made it so that I have to report for my various reformative tasks before _dawn_."

"So we aren't going to be one of those couples that gets up with the sun and sips coffee in bed while we talk about our plans for the day?" Maisy said, "Just clearing things up now."

"Norns no, that sounds terrible," he grimaced, "We'll be the couple that stays up late, chatting about what we've done that day and each reading a book or you could work on your embroidery. And then you'll fall asleep first and I'll have to gently reach over and kiss you before I turn out your light and then my own."

"That's specific," she commented, "How do you know I'll fall asleep first?"

"Because you'll feel so safe in my presence that you'll trust me to bargain with the monsters under the bed and in the wardrobe for the night. They'd take it from me better anyway, as we are kin."

"You're related to the monster under the bed?" Maisy laughed.

"He's probably from Jotunheim too," Loki remarked bitterly and the mood of their morning banter changed for a moment. Maisy watched his face carefully before reaching over to stroke his cheek.

"Hey," she said quietly, "You know you aren't some creature hiding in the dark. You've done some monstrous things, but Loki, you are no monster."

"You've never been to Jotunheim or else you might think differently."

"The place you were born doesn't have anything to do with you as a person," she stated firmly, "You've met my family. You think because I was raised with them that I'm a hick with a drinking problem?"

"Of course not, but-"

"Cool. Then pity party over," her hand found his and she brought his hand to her lips and kissed his knuckles, "No more pity parties during our honeymoon, m'kay?"

"No," he sighed and then looked at her with a wicked grin, "I suppose there are much better uses of our time."

"Yeah, like breakfast," Maisy replied and rolled out of bed, searching for her clothes, which were scattered around the room, "I'm starving."

"How do you have the energy to even move this early?" Loki groaned, rolling onto his back and studying the ceiling of their room at the inn, "I just want to go back to sleep."

"Maybe we can have room service bring us breakfast?" Maisy suggested.

"Why don't you go discuss it with the staff and I will sleep until you return?"

"Alright, don't miss me too much while I'm gone!"

"I shall try, but my heart already aches for you," he said and then turned his back on her. Snoring followed soon after and Maisy giggled as she went to find breakfast.

She came back twenty minutes later with a tray laden with delicious smelling breakfast foods and sat down with it at the table in the little suite. Seeing that Loki was still dozing, she took her sketchbook out of her backpack and used it to fan the smell of the food in his direction. He stirred a moment later and his eyes fluttered open and landed on the bacon.

"Wake me up that way every morning and we will be the happiest couple in the history of the realms," he said, groggily trudging over to the table and sitting down across from her.

"Even if I wake you up early?" Maisy asked, filling her plate from the variety of things on the tray.

"Perhaps if the smell of bacon and eggs is accompanied by a kiss."

She stood up, leaned over the table, and kissed him before sitting back down and digging in. When she looked up at him again he wasn't eating, he was just watching her with a small smile on his face.

"What is it?"

"I was just thinking of how lucky I am that you were attacked by a lindworm."

"Uh… it didn't feel lucky at the time."

"And I would never want you to have to go through that again," Loki agreed, his hand reaching across the table and taking hers tenderly, "But if that vermin, Egil, hadn't done it then I never would have met you and I certainly wouldn't have married you."

"Good point," Maisy smiled, "I can't imagine ever being as happy as I am right now if you weren't here with me."

"That's a sentimental thing to say."

"But I mean every word of it," she insisted, "I know we're kind of new to this romantic part of our relationship, but I love you. And I can't imagine ever loving anyone else this much."

Loki froze and openly gaped at her. It took him a moment before he could utter words.

"And… you're sure it is _me_ you're talking about?"

"Of course, Loki, who else?"

"I'm not sure how to process that information," he ran a hand through his hair and exhaled.

"It's okay if you don't feel the same-"

"No!" Loki stood up and walked over to her, holding both her hands as he crouched down beside her chair and looked up at her, "I love you, Maisy Sichore. I love you more than all the realms and all the treasures in them. Don't doubt that for a second! I've just… never been the person someone favored above all else."

"What do you mean?"

"Odin never saw me as equal to Thor. Any women who I've come close to loving in all my centuries has used me to get closer to my brother or the throne. Frigga was the only one who cared about me, but her duty always came first. I simply don't understand this feeling."

"That's okay," she smiled at him, "I just want you to know that I love you. More than anyone else in this realm or any other. So, just keep that in mind, I guess."

"If I could propose again I would," he laughed.

"Well, I _was_ unconscious the first time you did…"

"Maisy Sloane Sichore," his thumb rubbed her wedding band, "Would you continue to be my wife forever and always until the stars burn out or we do? Whichever comes first?"

"Loki Bartholomew Odinson Laufeyson Whoeverson, it would make me the happiest woman alive to stay married to you."

"Great, now let's eat bacon."

 **A note from the author: Well, you know what this means! The first chapter of To Have and To Hold is up! Woo hoo! Hopefully you will be able to access it right after reading this and it won't take hours for it to show up on my profile. :P**

 **Once again, I truly appreciate you reading this far and I hope you will join me for the sequel. I warn you that I do not have a definite ending in mind for the sequel yet, though I have almost 70k words written for it already. If you are content with this ending and don't want to risk it, I don't blame you, but know that I will do my best to give a happy ending to this story!**

 **And, of course, I have to do one last hurrah to thank my amazing reviewers: Susan Drakian (I'm glad you picked up on that, lol, it seemed like even though they weren't getting up to anything in the bed it was important that they be sharing it by the end of the story), CheetahLover (don't worry, I will give your wolves a huge hunk of meat to eat to make them happy again... I'm not saying the meat used to be Egil but...), XinterestingX (I'm glad you like the T rating as well. I saw on your profile that you are a Christian too - or at least a follower of God - and I'm glad you understand my reluctance to write the really "steamy" stuff), ferbette (lol, I'm imagining whenever Loki and Maisy are together and see Sif that they drop everything and immediately start making out and Sif just goes "nope!" and starts walking in the opposite direction XD), Lwolf (don't worry there is plenty more of Loki and Maisy!), yellowroseofthenw (aw! I'm glad you liked it!), sweetreader (there is going to be so much fluff in the sequel that you will just be suffocated by fluff), TheLadyBookworm (*coughs from all the glitter and then munches on cookies happily*), Ninja Squirrel (HUGS ALL AROUND! HUGS FOR EVERYONE! Except Egil of course.), xlokiswolfx (oh my gosh! You would not believe how happy your review made me! I'm so glad you like Linn, because there is a lot of her in the sequel! :D), and Carpe Diem Vampire (glad you enjoyed it!).**

 **YOU GUYS ARE SERIOUSLY MY FAVORITE HUMANS EVER. NOW GO, RUN TO THE SEQUEL MY PRETTIES! *cackles like the Wicked Witch of the West***

 _ **FINAL DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Thor movie or characters! I only own my troublesome OCs!**_


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